For the Power of Love
by Phoesong
Summary: A strange hit-and-run. Mysterious disappearances left and right. There is a sinister, overarching ploy at hand, and supernatural powers can only do so much to save four boys from internal turmoil. Love is selfless, and Love is selfish, but at what point does it cross the line? AU.
1. Arc I, Chapter 1: SchoolBound

**Author's** **note**:

**Hello! I'm actually new to the Earthbound/Mother series (never played the game although I desperately want to), and it's something I fell in love with after playing SSBB. Correct me if any info I use in the story is wrong. ****On the other hand, this is an AU! Ana, Paula, Ness, Ninten, Lucas, Claus, and Pokey are all highschool freshmen. Unless if stated, family backgrounds will remain the same as canon.**

**The first few chapters might start off a little pointless and shallow, but the story will develop more tone as it continues to reach my current writing style.**

**I do not own the Mother/Earthbound series, Oreos, and Brawl.**

**Thank you for your cooperation.**

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><p><strong>.<strong>

"If you love something, you have to let it go."  
><strong>-Anonymous<strong>

**.**

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><p>It was the first day of high school.<p>

An intimidating, yet strangely exciting thought.

In rising anticipation, as Claus tugged on his khaki pants and turquoise striped shirt, he surprisingly took extra care to select clothes that weren't wrinkled or disheveled. First impressions were everything, and as hasty as he was, he had no intention of making a fool of himself in front of anyone. After all, there was a good reason why "Freshmen" were also called "Freshmeat."

That did not, however, explain why his brother had wanted to spend a full thirty minutes in the bathroom.

Dancing on the balls of his feet, Claus impatiently glanced at the wall clock. "Lucas! We're going to be late!"

As if on cue, his brother burst out of the bathroom, half-dressed and wild-eyed. "Socks!" he muttered dazedly, then started digging through his neatly folded clothes.

Such was Lucas - a sleepyhead who could barely function at all in the morning.

Claus snorted, trying not to laugh as a now fully-dressed Lucas hurriedly double-checked over the contents of his bag.

"Do you think I should bring one notepad, or two?"

Claus rolled his eyes. "It's the first day of school, Lucas. Teachers won't care."

Lucas bit his lip. "But I care..."

"You checked like three times yesterday," Claus said exasperated, pushing him out the door.

"W-Wait!"

"What now?!"

Lips threatening to curl into a smile, Lucas threw his brother an amused side-glance. "You forgot something."

"I did?" Claus halted, suddenly looking puzzled. "I don't think so..."

"We've always done it on the first day of school," Lucas hinted.

Claus blanched. "What?! NO!"

"But it's mom's good-luck tradition!" Lucas protested.

"Well, screw tradition," Claus snapped. "Lucas, we were like, _five_ when we started this. Don't you think it's time we grew up?"

But Lucas only continued to plead with that pathetically hopeful expression. Claus averted his eyes and stared determinedly at the ceiling.

"I know what you're doing, Lucas, and it's not going to work."

Five seconds.

Ten seconds.

_Darn it, Lucas. _"Fine," the stoic ginger grumbled, caving in. "Let's get it over with."

Lucas immediately beamed ecstatically before dashing off, stumbling across the room in his haste. There was the rough sound of wooden drawers opening and slamming, and Lucas tossed him a spare hairbrush. In seconds, Claus found himself combing through his brother's feathery-soft blond hair. He sighed impatiently as Lucas mirrored his actions, and felt the teeth of his brother's comb prickle his skull.

Two seconds later, Claus threw his hairbrush onto the bed. "Okay, done!"

"Sit still!" Lucas stuck his tongue out at him playfully through the mirror. He gave a wordless exclamation. "Claus, what did you do to your hair last night? It's completely knotted!"

Claus snorted. "Who cares? You know how messy my bed hair is - Hey, watch the - OW!" he yelped. "Are you trying to pull my hair out?!"

"Sorry!"

Claus attempted to rise, but Lucas immediately pushed him back onto his seat. "Lucas." the ginger drawled dryly. "We're going to be late for school."

"Five more minutes!"

The impatient ginger sighed, resting his head on his elbows. He humored his neat-freak of a younger brother for a few more seconds, then immediately bolted to his feet. In one fluid motion, Claus gently, but firmly, set Lucas aside, much to the latter's protest.

"But, Claus! Your hair-"

"It looks fine, Lucas!" Claus shook off his brother's pleas and rushed outside, his yell rapidly fading in the distance. "We need to hurry or we'll _really_ miss the bus!"

Lucas frowned. However, he didn't object, slinging his bag across his shoulder. Stealing a glimpse at the ticking clock, he hastily sprinted after his older brother. Almost immediately though, a stray thought seized his mind, and Lucas suddenly halted, hesitating on the threshold. Fidgeting, he bit his cheek anxiously and threw a look of concern at the man slumped eagle-spread on the couch.

"Bye, dad," Lucas called out softly.

Claus, doubling back to fetch his brother, snorted contemptuously. "I doubt he heard you, Lucas. He's always either drunk or passed out."

"But-"

"Ah, crap! We can't already be late on the first day of freshmen year!" Claus shouted frantically, scooping up his brother's satchel off his shoulders.

Lucas, registering the lack of a heavy weight on his back, instinctively sprinted after him. "Claus!" The blond called out frantically. "Give back my bag!"

"NEVER!" Claus cackled back gleefully. Hopping on one foot backwards, he playfully dangled the two bags in front of him like bait, and blew his exasperated twin a raspberry. "Better catch me first, slowpoke!"

Claus whooped cheekily before dashing down the sidewalk unhindered. Unfortunately, Lucas was not so lucky, unaware of another silhouette rapidly approaching from his immediate right.

"Claus!" Lucas cried out, wildly waving his arms. "Come back-WhaAUUUGH!"

_**CRASH!**_

With a shout of alarm, Lucas clumsily tangled his lanky legs over another pair of shoes. Gravity took effect, and immediately Lucas tripped over, painfully plowing head-first into his half-asleep victim. The unfortunate victim stumbled upright, now wide-awake thanks to the rude wake-up call.

"Ow! Lucas, what the-"

"Ness?!"

"What's the big rush...?" Ruefully rubbing his head, Ness winced as his fingers brushed over a particularly sensitive spot over his eyebrow.

Lucas flushed a deep crimson in stark contrast from his honey-blond hair. "I'm s-sorry," he stammered, immediately dropping to his side. "Oh no, did I hurt you?"

"Nah!" Ness waved his apology off with a good-humored grin. "I'm good. No hard feelings, man."

"What happened?!" Claus yelled, hastily hurrying over. Halting in front of them, the ginger took one look at their sprawled figures and groaned, immediately deducing what had transpired. "Lucas, you are such a klutz-"

"Am not!" Lucas blurted out, flustering as he snatched his bag back. Much to the boys' amusement, his cheeks were still glowing a faint pink in mortification.

"No need to worry, Claus. We're okay," Ness finally broke out, deciding to spare the blond from any more embarrassment. As Ness spoke, he neatly plopped his trademark baseball cap back onto his head.

Suddenly, there was an excited shout as the final member of their party arrived at the bus stop.

"Guys, GUYS! GUESS WHAT?!"

"You finally acknowledged your own stupidity?" Claus suggested hopefully.

"...and good morning to you, Claus," Ninten responded grumpily as he skidded to a complete halt. Ness bit back a snicker at the Podunk teen's disgruntled expression, but Ninten immediately brightened back up again, bouncing back to his usual optimism. "My mom's buying me the new pack of Oreos today! And it's the _seasonal_ edition that comes out, like, once a year!"

"..."

"Shut up, Claus."

"WHAT?!" The ginger looked offended. "I didn't say anything!"

Ninten's eyes narrowed. "You look like you're judging me."

"Really? Well, maybe because **I AM**!"

"Oh yeah? I-"

"Woah, guys," Ness interrupted. "I know we're all glad to be bus buddies again, but I don't want to hear you two bicker to school every morning. Remember what happened last year?"

"But he started it!" Ninten and Claus yelled, pointing at each other. Lucas stifled a laugh; Claus's hair was already tussled up from a neat duck tail into a shocking red explosion, and Ninten's hat had been knocked onto the ground during the fray. Noticing Ninten's hat resting near his feet, Lucas picked it up and returned it to its rightful owner. Ninten gratefully accepted the hat just as the bus pulled over by the curb.

"Thanks, Lucas. I don't understand how someone as nice as you has **_this _**demon for a twin brother."

"YOU TAKE THAT BACK!"

The two ended up bickering all the way to school, leaving Ness and Lucas to awkwardly sit behind them in silence.

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~oO0Oo~

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The lunch bell rang, and students filed out in a babbling sea of voices. Finding his own locker, Ness punched in the correct passcode and dumped his textbooks in. Just as he did so, a familiar voice caught his attention.

"Hey, Ness!"

He turned around, and his eyes lit up in recognition. "Oh, hi, Paula! How was your summer?"

"Ahh, you know, same boring three months as usual." She grinned, a lazy smile playing on her lips. "You know, I'm actually _glad_ we started school. Drama sounds really interesting."

"You're taking drama?" Ness asked, surprised. "I thought you were taking piano!"

"_Ana_ is," Paula corrected. "And I was going to too, but yeah...last-minute schedule problems."

Ness grimaced as an unpleasant memory resurfaced in his head. "It could've been worse."

Paula frowned. "Really?"

"I was almost placed into Ballet."

"...Ah."

There was an uncomfortable pause as both of them tried _very_ hard not to think of a Ness clad in pink tights.

"NESS!" Ninten suddenly shouted out joyfully, breaking the awkward silence.

Ness gratefully took the opportunity, coughing loudly to cover up his embarrassment. "Hey, Ninten. How was Freshman English?"

Instantly, Ninten's face fell. "Dreadful," he groaned comically. "I hate writing stupid practice SAT prompts..."

"We're starting SAT prompts today?" Ness grimaced, resigning himself for a boring day. "Shit."

Ninten nodded sympathetically. "I know, right?"

"I don't see why you're complaining, Ninten. Writing an SAT prompt is just like arguing for your own position," Paula reasoned, cocking an eyebrow mischievously. "And every time I see you, you're always squabbling with Claus over one thing or another-"

"Not _always_!"

"You were bickering with him this morning," Ness pointed out.

"I knew it!" Paula's grin widened in triumph.

"Today was an exception!" The Podunk boy countered feebly. "We only bickered a _little_."

"That's nonsense and you know it." Paula frowned. "At least take pity on Ness and Lucas and tone it down."

"Oh, all right, _mom_."

Paula grinned like a feral shark. "What did you call me?"

"Nothing!" Ninten squeaked. He hastily changed the subject. "Ness, when's our first practice? I heard you're baseball captain this year." Ninten laughed nervously, trying to ignore Paula's wickedly gleaming eyes, which were flashing rather murderously in his direction. "Freshman and already the team captain..."

"Co-captain," Ness corrected sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. "The coach happens to know me. He's in charge of the Youth baseball camp I coach for over the summer. Our first game's at the end of this month."

"WHAAAAT? That early?!"

"I know. Baseball season's starting earlier than last year." Ness shrugged helplessly. "Blame the Eagleland government funding."

With a snort, Ninten rolled his eyes. "It's _always_ the government."

"Sorry to interrupt y'all, but I'd best be going," Paula chimed in, effortlessly lifting her rucksack onto her back. "I promised to meet Ana for lunch, so I guess I'll catch you both later! And _Ninten_," she grinned dangerously, making the said Podunk teen sweat nervously. "Don't you even _think_ that I forgot what you called me earlier. We'll have a nice chat about it _later_..."

"Yes, ma'am," Ninten squeaked.

"Cool. See you later, Paula," Ness said nonchalantly. Paula broke into a genuine grin, waved them off a final time, then disappeared down the hallway.

"Man, Paula's one scary gal," Ninten noted, wide-eyed.

"She's usually pretty mellow unless you touch her berserk button. Paula absolutely hates nicknames." Ness laughed. "And you did technically call her _mom_."

"How are you two so close?" Ninten demanded in a whine. "This is like the second time I've seen her, and I didn't know you knew each other well!"

Ness shrugged. "She used to be my former neighbor before Pokey moved in."

Ninten suddenly snickered, eyeing him with a grin. "You _like_ her, don't you?"

Almost smacking his head against the locker, Ness whirled around in shock. "Where did you get _that_ from, Ninten?" he demanded. "We're just childhood friends, okay? _Friends,_" he added defensively. "Nothing special."

Ninten grinned cheekily. _"Suuuure _you are."

Ness stifled a smirk. "But you _totally_ have a crush on Ana."

"Th-That's not true!" Ninten's face started to heat up, much to his own chagrin, and Ness laughed, taking vast enjoyment in his discomfort.

"Wonderful," a voice cut in. "Are we really talking about Ninten's hopeless love life?"

They whirled around. Claus lazily sauntered towards them, crossing his arms in bemusement.

Ninten jumped in shock. "Where did _you_ come from?"

Claus shrugged. "Outta nowhere." He eyed Ninten with a smirk. "Is this about your life-long crush on Ana?"

Ness nodded. "Ye-"

"NO! Maybe! I mean, nobody has a crush!" Ninten hastily cut him off, tossing him an added glare for a good measure. "Definitely not me!"

Clearly skeptical, Claus cocked an eyebrow at Ninten before nonchalantly shrugging his shoulders. "Figures. _Any_ girl would be too good for Ninten."

"Oh yeah? Well, you suck."

Claus looked offended. "Excuse me?"

"Hey, Claus," Ness cut in worriedly, changing the subject. Students were beginning for pour out of the classrooms for lunch, and a certain blond had yet to appear. "Have you seen Lucas?"

Claus frowned. "No," he started slowly. "I thought he'd be hanging out with you two..."

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~oO0Oo~

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"Aww, look at the wittle wimp jump!"

"Leave me alone!" Lucas cried, trying to snatch his music sheet out of the bigger boy's hands. Pokey shoved him back, sending Lucas sprawling on the concrete floor. In the background, oblivious students mingled pleasantly in the courtyard, carrying their lunches outside to enjoy the sun.

Sneering unpleasantly, Pokey guffawed at his prey's antics. His small, piggy eyes glinted savagely. "Not feeling so tough without your friends, hmm?"

"P-Please, Pokey, give back my music sheet!" Lucas stammered. To his own self-disgust, he could already feel the tears spring into his stinging eyes. "It's not mine! I borrowed it!"

Pokey's grin widened, dangling the wad of paper out in front of his face. "You mean _this _ratty tatty thing?"

In front of Lucas's horrified eyes, Pokey slowly began to tear a corner off, still eyeing him with that sadistic smirk on his face. In one last-ditch act of desperation, Lucas immediately darted forward in panic, hoping to seize his precious paper out of harm's way before it could be shredded beyond repair.

But this open opportunity was what Pokey had been waiting for.

"GAH!" Lucas couldn't keep a strangled cry of pain from tearing through his lips as Pokey slammed his shoulder none-too-gently against the brick wall. He squirmed, trying to wriggle free, but Pokey firmly pinned his arms to the side, leaving him completely helpless.

"Is that it? You're pathetic," Pokey jeered, twisting Lucas's wrist for a good measure. Lucas whimpered, ceasing his struggles.

Gloating from his success in subduing him, Pokey seemed to mull over an "interesting" thought. Lucas felt cold dread; anything Pokey found "interesting" most likely equated to "torture" and "suffering" on his own part.

"...You know what?" Pokey suddenly broke out, cocking his head arrogantly. "It's our first day of school. I think I'll be nice to you today."

"P-Please, Pokey-"

Pokey studied him with a nasty glint in his eyes. For all in the world, Pokey resembled a fat Cheshire cat that had caught a trembling robin in its sharp claws.

"Kneel down in front of me and beg. Then I might give back your shitty piece of paper."

Lucas's eyes widened. "But-"

Pokey twisted his wrist brutally, cutting off Lucas's protest in a yell of pain. "You heard me, pipsqueak. _Kneel_."

With all his past experience, Lucas couldn't help but wonder how he had been cornered so easily into such an awful situation. Two minutes ago, he had been minding his own business, waiting for his friends to finish class, and now, he was pinned uncomfortably against a moldy brick wall. As he struggled, Lucas could feel the rough, unforgiving concrete scrape against his exposed back and elbows, and his shoulderblades were probably bruised from the harsh impact.

Even as he gritted his teeth against the tears swimming in his eyes (Pokey would definitely bully him more if he cried), Lucas hesitated. For Heaven's sake, he was a _thinker_, not a _doer_. What was he supposed to do now? Lash out?

Right. As if lashing out against a bully the size of a freight car was ever a good idea. Lucas sorely had no desire to act on something on the spur of the moment, only to regret it later. He racked his brains. There had to be another way out...

Unfortunately, Pokey interpreted his continued disquiet as defiance, and the enraged bully's face churned a tasteful shade of prune purple. Digging his uneven fingernails painfully into delicate skin, Pokey forcefully slammed his victim's shoulder a second time against the cold, unyielding brick wall. Lucas winced, but managed to bite back a hiss of pain.

"The silent treatment, eh? Is the crybaby feeling bwave?" Pokey snivelled. "Do you want me to punch you black and blue until you can't stand?"

Lucas twisted around his tight grip. "Pokey, I've never done anything to hurt you," he rasped. "P-Please stop."

"Oh boohoo, Pokey, don't hurt me! I'm such a weakling!" Pokey mocked in a high-pitched warble. "Shut it. You and your twin made me look like a fool in front of Ness. You two ruined _everything_! You little bi-" He calmed himself down. When he spoke again, his voice sounded dangerously quiet. "If you don't kneel down and beg right now, you can forget about getting your property back in one piece."

Lucas swallowed hard. He was backed into a corner with no way out. Filled with self-disgust and utter loathing for what he was about to do next, Lucas screwed his eyes shut and ever-so-slowly bent his knees...

Next moment, Lucas found himself sprawled on the floor as the force pinning him to the wall abruptly vanished. Gasping as the impact pushed all air out from his lungs, he could only stare numbly at the very familiar set of sneakers protectively planted in front of him.

"Get your filthy hands off my brother, _Porky_," Claus spat, his eyebrows scrunched up in a dangerous V.

It didn't take rocket science to realize that Claus was fuming angrily. His entire face was as crimson as his fiery orange hair.

Ness and Ninten immediately rushed to Lucas's side, pulling him back up.

"Well if it isn't blondie's twin." Pokey guffawed. "Hey blondie, good thing your brother's here to save you! How does it feel like to be so useless and pathetic?"

"Shut up, Pokey," Ness cut in angrily.

Pokey fixed his eyes on him instead, and blue eyes lit up. "Ness!" he stated pleasantly. He stuffed his hands into his own pockets. "How are you, old friend?"

"You're no friend of mine."

Pokey's face fell. "Don't you remember? We were pretty close friends until _those_ two dorks came along." Pokey jerked his head towards Lucas and Claus. "Then you ditched me for them. Right, Ninten? Ninten, you can back me up."

All eyes immediately flew to Ninten.

"What?!" Ninten blurted out indignantly. "The only reason we're not friends anymore is 'cause you started acting like a jerk to all of us! You even sabotaged Ness's baseball game in seventh grade! Blame yourself!"

Pokey shrugged. "Fine. I acted like a jerk in the past. I admit it." He opened his arms magnanimously. "But we were all immature back then! I'm not anymore. I can still be a good friend to you, Ness. At least, better than Stupid coward and Loser red-head."

"Say one more word...I _dare _you," Claus snarled viciously, looking downright murderous.

Ninten shuddered. If Claus had ever shot that death glare towards him, he would have fled screaming for his life, but Pokey only guffawed. "I mean, come on, Ness! Their mom died from a car crash and now their dad's some drunkard so they live with their senile old grandfather. How pathetic is that?"

At once, Claus exploded in fury. Letting loose a draconian roar, Claus leaped forward, ready to tackle him with twitching hands, but before he could take another step, Lucas and Ninten had each grabbed an arm. They dug their heels desperately into the ground, but even with two against one, Claus stubbornly persisted, yanking against his restraints in wild abandon.

"Claus, no!" Lucas cried, holding back his elbow. "You'll get into trouble!"

"He's not worth it, Claus," Ninten said grimly.

"GET YOUR HANDS OFF OF ME! I'm not dealing with this crap again!" Claus screeched, completely deranged from fury. "DID YOU HEAR ME, POKEY?! I'M GONNA-"

Ness finally stepped in between them. "You've done enough damage for one day, Pokey," he said, and his voice sounded dangerously quiet. "Leave. Don't think we won't make you."

Smirking, Pokey searched his face, thinking that the baseball captain was bluffing. But his expression immediately soured when Ness looked deadly serious about carrying out his threat. Taking one last glimpse at Claus, who was wildly thrashing in a glaring Ninten's grip, and then at Lucas, who was trying to calm his furious brother down, Pokey scowled. Reluctantly throwing down the music sheet with an angry swipe of his hand, Pokey spun on his heel and stormed off without another word.

Claus stopped clawing like a feral animal and fell limp, panting from exertion. "I swear, if he insults Lucas or me again, I'll-"

"That's enough, Claus," Ness said tiredly. "You guys okay?"

"Yeah," Ninten said, panting heavily as he took out his inhaler. "Just give me a breather..."

"I'm fine too," the blond replied quietly, rubbing his sore wrist. Pokey's sudden assault seemed to have shaken him, and he avoided their eyes, withdrawing into his impenetrable shell.

Immediately, Claus's throat prickled with guilt. He had been so caught up in his anger that he had completely forgotten why they had come here in the first place. Briskly striding over, he ignored his younger brother's exclamation of shock and began to scan for any tell-tale signs for bruises and scrapes. Scrambling to his feet, Lucas yelped as Claus pushed him back onto the ground.

"I'm fine, Claus! Really!"

The ginger snorted skeptically. "If you're _fine_-" He pointed at his bruised wrist. "Then what's that?"

"...Accident," Lucas said lamely, discreetly shifting his sleeve over his injury.

"Lucas," Ness broke in with a frown. "What did Pokey want from you?"

There was a pregnant pause; the uncomfortable gravity of what had could have possibly transpired weighed heavily on their minds.

Lucas swallowed hard, reluctantly averting his eyes from their piercing gazes. "Nothing really. H-He...Pokey only wanted me to see me beg...and I almost did," he added in a low, inaudible whisper. He turned away; that awful sensation of guilt and shame was back.

Hot, prickling shame.

Claus scowled. "It's not your fault, Lucas. That no-good jerk," he muttered. "I can't believe he was once your best friend, Ness."

"Pokey has...family problems," Ness said darkly. "But I can't believe he actually stooped this low. Lucas, don't listen to him. Pokey's just jealous because he's got no friends."

But when Lucas still seemed troubled, Ninten tried to lighten up the mood. "Hey, you guys want to hang out at my house after school? I really _need_ someone to play Brawl with!"

Claus rolled his eyes. "Dude, you have four gamecube controllers. Can't you play with your sisters?"

"My sisters don't understand the importance of playing Brawl." Ninten sniffed, clearly insulted. Claus didn't look convinced, so Ninten upped the ante. "Fine. If you're going to be stubborn, Claus, I'll even let you try out some of my seasonal Oreos. Happy?"

"What's the catch?" Claus asked suspiciously.

"No catch. I'm just a _very_ generous person." Ninten batted his eyes.

"How are you so addicted to that stuff?" Claus wondered distastefully, wrinkling his nose. "I swear, Oreos are like your version of _crack_."

"That's right," Ninten said smugly. "They're my G-rated drugs. So are you coming or not?"

"I don't see why not," Claus sighed, throwing his brother a questioning stare, to which Lucas nodded back in agreement.

All eyes flew to Ness, and the baseball captain shrugged. "I've got nothing better to do."

"Great! Now let's eat lunch, I'm starving!" Ninten exclaimed, pushing all of them towards an empty picnic table.

They were so caught up in their conversation that none of them noticed a far-out figure nearby.

"Just you wait," Pokey breathed, clenching his fists. He eyed the four boys in utter loathing. "I'll get my revenge soon, and you'll all regret messing with me."


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's note:**** Thank you for the reviews. :) My second chapter is posted a lot earlier than expected because the next chapter might take a while. Criticism is appreciated. I know I'm probably painting Pokey as the evil stereotypical villain, but all will be explained due time.**

**I do not own the Earthbound series or SSBB.**

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><p>"Ninten?"<p>

"...yeah?"

"I'm worried about Lucas," Ness said, his eyes glued onto the television screen.

The two of them were currently engaged in a heated brawl tournament. Rap music blared softly in the background as they jammed their fingers furiously onto the gamecube controls. It was already evening, the sky outside already a dusky-crimson streaked with glittering gold.

The twins had already walked home a while back, both in notably higher spirits than before. Ness's mother, however, had encountered a rather nasty traffic jam caused by the usual Five O' clock rush and by an unexpectedly passing train. She had called Ness a few minutes ago, telling him not to worry and that he would have to stay a little longer at Ninten's place.

"Pokey's still bullying him, and I have a feeling that he's not planning to stop any time soon," Ness gritted his teeth. "You'd think that he'd catch on once we started high school, but he still _hasn't_."

Ninten shrugged. "You know what they all say. Once a dick, always a dick."

"We're all technically dicks, Ninten."

Ninten sported a small grin. "_Touche_."

There was a silence only broken by the occasional jam of gamecube controllers.

Ninten tapped his character rapidly into a dash dance. "But you have to give him credit. I mean, who knew Pokey could hold a grudge against the twins for this long?"

"Who knew_ anyone_ could hold a grudge for this long?" Ness muttered darkly.

"It's like he's completely obsessed with you," Ninten agreed.

"Ninten!"

"What? It's true!" When Ness glared at him, Ninten hastily added, "...But in a bad way."

"When has obsession ever been a _good _thing?"

"Hey, look on the bright side!" Ninten said cheerfully. "If Pokey _is _obsessed with you, then Paula would probably fry him to crisp if he tries to approach you in a ten-meter radius! Problem solved."

Ness smirked. "It does sound like something she'd do."

"'Cos she's your girlfriend," Ninten added, waggling his eyebrows.

Ness rolled his eyes in exasperation, briefly taking his eyes off the screen. "I told you, Ninten, for the last time, there's _nothing_ happening between - FALCON PUNCH!" he suddenly exclaimed.

And Captain Falcon knocked Pikachu off the Final Destination stage.

**"GAME!"**

"NOOO! PIKACHU" Ninten lamented. "You cheated! I was distracted!"

"If anyone was distracted, it was me. My eyes were off the screen!" Ness smugly announced, "Face it, Nintendo. I won fair and square!"

Throwing his controller onto the floor, Ninten sank into the couch with a dramatic sigh. "Oh well. At least it was an _electrifying_ battle."

"Oh no. Ninten, don't you dare_-_"

"This defeat was _shocking_," Ninten continued.

"'Ninten, I'm warning you-"

"I guess I should _pika _better character next time! Eh? Eeeeeeeeeeh?!" Ninten finished, teasingly nudging Ness in the side.

Ness scooted away and groaned, placing his head in his hands. "Your Pokemon puns are the _worst_."

"You're just jealous of my witty humor."

"Only in your dreams, Oreo-boy."

Ninten gave a loud, barking laugh, and Ness threw him a look of amused exasperation. The latter then rolled his eyes, expecting his friend to spiral off-topic and goof around about something stupid. But despite being distracted by the heat of their "Brawl," Ninten hadn't forgotten about their previous train of thought.

"Seriously, Ness, I wouldn't worry if I were you," Ninten pointed out. "If Pokey bullies Lucas again, Claus would give probably give him some serious shit. Besides," Ninten shuddered violently. "Didn't you see Claus's death glare today?"

Recalling the ginger's furious "I give zero fucks" scowl, Ness winced. "Don't remind me."

Ninten suddenly sat upright. "Dude," he said, throwing Ness a mildly curious side-glance. "Has Claus always been _this_ crazy over-protective _before_ he met Pokey?"

Ness looked disgruntled. "Oh heck yes. He's definitely acted this way in middle school."

But Ninten stared thoughtfully at the flashing ad on the television screen. "It kinda makes me wonder what ticked it off in the first place..."

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~oO0Oo~

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Claus hated dinner time for several reasons.

It wasn't the food. His grandfather was a pretty decent cook, and Lucas could whip up some pretty delicious omelets in a jiffy. And whenever they got sick of either, frozen food every once in a while never hurt anyone.

But Alec always insisted that they all eat at the same time.

"You call ourselves a family?" Alec grumbled impatiently, almost pushing a reluctant Claus into the dining room. "Hah! Family, my old cane. I never saw a _family_ that didn't spend more than three seconds in the same room except _ours_."

So Claus found himself sitting across from his father, all-the-while moodily picking at his omelet.

Reason number two.

After their mother's death, his dad had turned to drinking to cope. Gone was the practical, fun-filled family man, only to be replaced by the pitiful excuse of an alcoholic. A few empty bottles here and there surrounded the pathetic man like a make-shift barrier from reality. Sneaking a glance over, Claus noticed that the stoic man had silently begun to chug his fifth bottle.

Furrowing his eyebrows, Claus scowled darkly.

Nearby, he vaguely registered Alec trying to start off a conversation, and Lucas responded over-enthusiastically to his comments. Lucas shot him a few side-glances, but reluctantly stopped when Claus showed no signs of wanting to speak. With the absence of his father and brother from the conversation, Lucas's weak efforts to talk dwindled and died quickly, leaving only pained silence to stew in the dining hall.

Flint's omelet still sat untouched on his plate.

It was a cold fact everyone noticed, but no one dared to speak of it. Flint might as well been a stranger to them.

But finally, Alec stood up and swiftly brushed away all the unopened caskets of alcohol into an empty crate. "Sonny-jim, I think you've had enough ter drink fer today. Eat. Get some food into tha' stomach," Alec said softly. "Think o' your boys, Flint."

Talking to Flint nowadays was akin to walking on broken glass; the man was more sensitive and equally as prone to violent reactions. But Flint gave no notice of Alec's words, opting to stare dumbly at his now empty bottle. He giggled, an eerie sound that involuntarily raised the hairs on their arms, and swung the bottle around, unevenly shaking its nonexistent contents.

"It's..It'sempty," he slurred. "Gone. Like Hinawa." Flint giggled again. "Ain't it funny? Hinawa's gone an' my drink's all gone…See? Gone…gone."

Claus stiffened up noticeably.

"Flint!" Alec looked purely aghast. "Not in front of the children! Aren't ya ashamed of yourself?"

But Flint said nothing, reaching shakily for another bottle with a loud hiccup. Alec sighed, realizing his words weren't reaching the drunken man at all. He turned around to face his grandsons. Their painful expressions tore at his weather-beaten heart: Lucas was staring at his father in a quiet sort of melancholy, and Claus's face hardened into a deeper scowl.

"I'm so sorry, boys," Alec grumbled regretfully. "Your father seems to have had too much to drink tonight."

"Doesn't he always?" Claus muttered loudly, boiling with simmering anger. His voice dripped with pure disgust.

Surprisingly, Flint snapped his head towards him, eyes strangely unfocused. "You-You…whadidja say?"

"Claus..." Lucas warned, eyes fixed warily on his father.

But Claus couldn't stand this stifling feeling of neglect. In one reckless motion, he immediately leaped to his feet, ignoring Alec's shocked squawk.

"You're not the only one who misses mom, you know!" Claus yelled, balling his hands into fists. "You're our godforsaken _father_! Why don't you help us out for once?!"

Immediately, silence followed his sudden tirade.

For several teetering seconds, Flint stared hard at Claus, eyeing him with a strange expression. Suddenly, Flint bashed his empty wine bottle against the table with a loud crunch. Claus shielded his eyes with his arms as sharp pieces of glass littered the floor like hail.

"Help? HELP?! I HELP!" The man bellowed dangerously, pounding a fist onto his chest. "I still work on the fields to get enough money…I just…need to drink one more bottle…Need to forget..." Almost as suddenly as it happened, Flint's head dropped onto his chest with a light snore.

"Claus, FLINT!" Alec yelled. His grandfather's face was a stark pale in comparison to his yellowed, gritted teeth. "That's quite enough! Claus, take out the trash. Lucas, I'm sorry, but I'll need you to wash the dishes today. Your _father_," he stared disapprovingly at the figure now muttering phrases incoherently under his breath. "Needs someone to help him into bed."

Fuming from the injustice of it all, Claus looked far from finished. He opened his mouth, ready to continue his unfinished argument, but Lucas squeezed his hand tightly.

"Please, Claus," Lucas murmured.

The ginger slowly focused his heavy gaze onto his twin.

The blond shook his head slightly. His blue eyes were painstakingly sad, but the meaning behind his unspoken words were clear.

_Not now._

Claus turned away. In seconds, the lights clicked off, swallowing the room up into perpetual darkness. Ever-so-slowly, Claus allowed Lucas to gently steer him away from shattered glass...and shattered feelings.

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~oO0Oo~

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Claus dully dumped the trashbags into the proper dust-bins. Trudging back angrily to his house, he was surprised to come face-to-face with his grandfather. The two stiffly locked gazes, then Alec lowered his eyes in regret.

"I'm sorry, Claus," he said quietly. "I'm sorry that your father, that my son-in-law…"

Alec's throat closed up as he stared into his protege's hollow blue eyes.

_No child deserves an absent mother and negligent father._

_No child deserves this fate…_

Alec felt his heart break for what seemed like the millionth time. The passing years had dulled the pain of loss, but the throbbing heart-ache remained.

_My daughter...My poor, sweet Hinawa..._

Even though arguments between Claus and Flint were far from rare, none of them was ever pleasant to witness. The father-son bond had all but died, burnt up into crisp by the fires of hatred and searing neglect. Lucas was the only bridge barely stringing the two together.

"Claus?" Alec cleared his dry throat with a cough. "Try to get along with Flint as best as you can, even if he's being difficult."

"He's always difficult," Claus muttered. He clenched his fists. "He's not my father," he said shakily. "My father died years ago with my mother."

"...Then what about Lucas?" When Claus didn't say anything, Alec softened. "If you can't do it for yourself, at least do it for your twin. For Lucas's sake."

Claus lowered his eyes in shame. "Fine," he muttered. His words sounded extremely bitter. "I'll try."

"There's a good boy." Alec sighed wearily. "We don't have enough food for tomorrow, so I'm heading over to the local market right now. I'll bring the groceries back early tomorrow morning." A silent warning. "Don't cause any more trouble."

Claus said nothing.

Alec didn't think he could endure the tight, sinking feeling in his chest any longer. Even _looking_ at his grandsons triggered the bad memories, the awful, terrible feelings. He couldn't stay here much longer. He had to leave this place.

Now.

Alec strode over to his car, trying hard not to break out into a dead sprint. He knew he was being hypocritical: he had a house. A refuge. A safe haven he could run to.

But Lucas and Claus didn't have any of those things. The twins couldn't run away like he could - _W__here would they go?_ They were trapped.

Trying to force down his guilt, Alec revved up the engine and peeled away from the driveway. A blink of a headlight, then Alec had all but vanished into the night. But no matter how quickly he sped down the bumpy, uneven road, he couldn't escape from his plaguing thoughts.

Claus's haunting stare bore through his skull throughout his entire trip home.

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~oO0Oo~

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"...Claus?"

Knocking once, Lucas tentatively peeked inside their bedroom. Claus lay despondently on the bed, staring up at the ceiling.

"What's up?" he mumbled moodily, resting fixed in place. Lucas sat next to him, fiddling with his toes nervously. Claus readjusted his limbs to a more comfortable position. "I'm listening."

Lucas took a deep breath. "I'm sorry."

Claus nearly cricked his neck in surprise. "What the hell are you sorry for?" he exclaimed, furrowing his eyebrows. "It's not _your_ fault dad's a drunkard."

"But I should stand up for you," Lucas said quietly. "You have no idea how much I want to, Claus. I _really_ do. It's unfair to you."

Claus shrugged, continuing his silent vigil of the ceiling. "Forget it." The bitterness was back, seeping into his voice. "I still don't know why you call _that man _our dad. Because he's not."

Lucas swallowed hard. "Claus..."

"No."

There was a very pregnant pause.

"Alec left for groceries," Claus said abruptly. "He'll be back tomorrow morning."

"I saw you two talking outside," Lucas caught on, changing the subject. Suddenly, seized by a stray thought, he panicked, bolting upright on the bed. "Oh no! Did he ground you? Are you in trouble? Gah, I should've-"

"Lucas, stop worrying, you prat," Claus interrupted with a grin. "I'm not in trouble."

Lucas paused. "You're not?" He blinked owlishly, then laughed. "That's a first!"

"I don't always cause trouble!" Claus protested indignantly, socking him in the shoulder.

"Ow..." Lucas whined, rubbing his arm.

Claus rolled his eyes. "You're such a baby."

"Am not!"

"Yeah, you are," Claus smirked, poking his cheek. "_Baby-face_."

"I'm not a baby!" Lucas protested, a flustered blush starting to creep on his neck. When Claus began to howl with mirth, Lucas smacked him with a pillow.

"W-What was that for?" Claus sputtered, spitting out feathers from his mouth.

"Serves you right for laughing at me," Lucas said seriously, even though the corners of his lips were threatening to quirk upwards.

"Oh really?" Suddenly, Claus shot him a wicked grin, then slowly started to advance. "Two can play that game."

"Uh…Claus?" Lucas eyed him nervously. "Why are you smiling like that? And why are you creeping closer?" Realization quickly struck, and Lucas blanched. "Oh no! Oh no, no, no, no-ARGH!"

Immediately, Claus tackled his younger brother onto the ground. "TICKLE FIGHT!" Claus cackled evilly, lunging in for the kill.

"AHHH! CLAUS! S-Stoppit, I'm sorry, no, don't-Haahaha!" Lucas helplessly shrieked with laughter as Claus mercilessly attacked his ticklish sides, then collapsed in defeat. "Okay, I'm sorry. Stop. Please."

"..."

"Claus? Get your hands off my feet! Noooo!"

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~oO0Oo~

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Several hours later, an exhausted Alec stopped by at dawn. Tightly gripping his wooden cane with wrinkled fingers, the old man trudged upstairs to check on his two grandsons. With each step, his trepidation rose like a wave, threatening to break his character, but Alec didn't falter, and in no time, he had arrived on the landing. Gently, the old man turned the door knob by a tiny sliver.

A snoring Claus was sleeping soundly, one arm draped protectively over his snoozing twin brother.

Alec quietly shut the door.

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~oO0Oo~

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Next morning, Ness found himself tapping his foot impatiently on the concrete of the school courtyard. The baseball captain didn't consider himself a morning person. Rather, _far _from it.

Oddly enough, the early-rising Claus took his grumpiness to an entirely new level. "I hate mornings," Claus mumbled grouchily, stepping off the bus. Lucas was looking the other way, trying not to laugh at Claus's disgruntled expression.

"Really? So do I!" Ninten said excitedly. "Wow, Claus, we have so many similarities in common!"

"Go away, Ninten," Claus snapped. Ninten only tossed an arm around his shoulders.

"Smile! A smile a day keeps the doctor away! LIKE THIS!" Ninten flashed a beaming smile.

"Your smile makes me want to puke."

"Oh yeah? Your _face_ makes me want to puke."

Claus rolled his eyes. "That wasn't even creative."

"Creative?" Ninten's face fell, and he grimaced. "Ewwww...you reminded me of our Creative Writing assignment due today. I still didn't know what to write for that essay topic."

"What? The '_Write about a person who has influenced you'_ paper?" Ness asked in disbelief. "It's honestly not _that_ bad. I expected something a lot worse."

"For once, I have to side with Ninten," Claus grudgingly admitted. "This prompt sucks."

"THANK YOU!' Ninten yelled gleefully.

The ginger twin swatted his arm. "That doesn't mean I agree with everything you say, you nincompoop."

"Jerk."

Claus rolled his eyes before fixing a challenging look on Ness. "Who are you writing about?"

"My dad." Ness suddenly looked defensive, as if expecting them to make fun of him. In an unspoken consensus, the other three didn't question him; Ness's parents were divorced. Even though Ness rarely brought it up, they knew how crushed he still was over his mother's strained relationship with his father. "I mean...he's never there now, but...I...he-"

"I think that's a good topic," Lucas interrupted casually, and Ness relaxed noticeably. The tension passed.

"Thanks, Lucas." Ness exhaled shakily. "...Who did you choose?"

Lucas started stammering like a broken tape recorder, "I, I-"

"Ooooh, is it a secret girlfriend?" Ninten warbled in fake falsetto. "How scandalous!"

The poor blonde flushed as bright red as a tomato. "W-What? No!"

"Ten bucks it's a girl," Ninten whispered audibly, winking at Claus.

Claus smugly grinned back. "Make that twenty."

"Stop it, g-g-guys!" Lucas stammered, his palms starting to feel sweaty. "It's not a girl!"

"A shame _you_ can't say the same, Ninten," Ness added casually. At least, a little _TOO c_asually for Ninten's tastes.

"Huh?" Ninten said warily. "Whatd'ya mean?"

Ness wickedly leaned over. "Your essay's on Ana, right?"

Almost doubling over in a spit-take, Ninten choked, now finding the tables turned against him. "Excuse me?! Pppfffft! Ness, Ness, Ness..." he laughed loudly. "What makes you think that I did-"

"Isn't that your paper?" Ness pointed at his lopsided, half-open bag.

Ninten rapidly turned a delicious shade of crimson, and unceremoniously stuffed the report out of view, firmly zipping his satchel shut. "...no."

Claus wolf-whistled cheekily. "Looks like we have a _lady's_ man here."

"I-I still don't know what you're all talking about! Where do you all come up with such...assumptions? I don't even..." Tugging blindly at the collar of his shirt, Ninten weakly continued to ramble on much to their amusement. Luckily, the bell rang, and like a drowning man, Ninten seized his chance for a saving grace. "Hey look, it's time for class!" the poor Podunk teen yelped, dashing away in a vain attempt to escape his friends' bright laughter.

In short, it seemed like a pleasant start to a promising day.

.

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~oO0Oo~

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"Listen up, kids! My name is Mr. Strong, your Physical Ed teacher," The muscular teacher barked. "I take Physical education _VERY_ seriously. We have basketball and tennis courts behind the school, so you knuckleheads better stay outside until dismissal!"

The entire class groaned and complained, but the coach ignored them.

Narrowing his eyes, he glared at each student suspiciously. "And don't think I don't know about you stragglers who sit your lazy buttocks on the bleachers texting 24/7! I've had cases where some desperate freshmen try to end school early and climb over the school fence. My advice? DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT!" he suddenly roared, making them all jump. "The fence is off-limits!"

All of them shriveled under his fierce glare.

Suddenly, the coach slumped over. "But it's the first day of school, and I'm tired," he grumbled. "Do whatever you want today, but don't think you can slack off for the rest of the school year! Now, chop chop! WORK OUT, GET FIT! EVERYONE OUTSIDE!"

Immediately, students scattered like fleeing marbles.

"Hey, Lucas, Claus, Ninten! Join us for a game of baseball!" Ness called out excitedly.

"Baseball?" Ninten perked up. "I call first bat!"

"...Oh fine. I suppose it can't hurt to actually do something productive for once," Claus sighed, giving in.

Ninten beamed. "Cla-"

"**Don't**."

"-usssssssss!"

"You need to stop that habit of butchering my name like a deranged fan girl," the ginger grumbled. Ninten stuck his tongue out, then turned to his nicer twin.

"Lucas, you're coming along, right?" The Podunk boy begged, "Please tell me you are!"

Laughing, Lucas shook his head. "We did an impromptu art project today in class, and I feel a little worn out," he admitted, stifling a yawn. "No thanks, Ninten. Maybe next time."

"Are you sure you're fine?" Claus interrupted with a hint of concern. Upon closer glance, his brother did seem a shade paler than usual. Come to think of it, a light sheen of sweat covered Lucas's brow, and Claus didn't recall him doing any sort of physical activity at all...

But Lucas nodded encouragingly. "Yeah, I'll be fine! I'll take a quick nap here. Go play, Claus," he encouraged, sitting down underneath an oak tree. "Ninten's waiting."

Claus hesitated. "Well, if you say so..."

"Come on, Claus!" Ninten crowed, dragging him away. "You heard what Lucas said!"

Locking eyes with his younger twin a final time, Claus reluctantly allowed Ninten to drag him off to the baseball field. Lucas threw him a reassuring glance as he left, watching in amusement as Claus and Ninten began to bicker again.

("Why are you never that nice to me?"

"Lucas is my twin. You, on the other hand, are an obnoxious idiot."

"AM NOT!")

Lucas closed his eyes. There was something oddly relaxing about thinking alone in the cool afternoon air. A nice nap sounded like a wonderful idea...

"Hey Blondie."

Chills ran down Lucas's back. Opening his eyes fearfully, Lucas froze as a large figure blurred into his sight. Pokey stood in front of him, blocking out the sun behind his back.

However, the said bully threw him an uncharacteristically warm smile that swept Lucas off-guard. Lucas eyed him cautiously, readying himself to run at the slightest hint of malice.

"...Hello, Pokey."

"I guess this is kinda awkward." Pokey noticed the wary expression on his face, and laughed. "Yeah, I don't blame you. You'd be stupid to trust me."

"What do you want, Pokey?" Lucas said quietly.

Pokey looked surprised. "I don't want anything. I-I mean," Pokey cleared his throat nervously. "I guess I wanted to say that I'm sorry."

Surprised, Lucas blinked, but before he could register Pokey's strange behavior, the bigger boy beat him to it.

"You think you're the only one getting sick of this? Well, I'm getting sick of it too."

At Lucas's expression of disbelief, Pokey laughed darkly. Air hissed through his gritted teeth. "I bet you wanna explanation, huh? Fair enough. I'm jealous of you, okay? Ness used to be best friends with me until you and your stupid twin came. Then he started hanging out with me less."

"I'm sorry," Lucas said, starting to feel pity despite himself.

"I'm not," Pokey spat. "I hate your guts, but I honestly can't believe I wasted my time just to bully you for petty revenge." Pokey laughed bitterly. "I'm just like my father...he punishes me, like I do horrible things to you."

Lucas said nothing.

"H-He beats me sometimes," Pokey mumbled. "Even when I don't do anything wrong. Sometimes he does it for fun. And...oooh, I feel _sick_-"

Leaning heavily against the bark, Pokey abruptly clapped his hands to his face. Much to Lucas's astonishment, dry, distressed racked the older boy's frame, which deeply heaved in and out like a pair of bellows. As Pokey sank down into a pitiful crouch, for once, the intimidating bully looked incredibly vulnerable.

Pity lent a sour taste in Lucas's tongue. Lucas had no idea how to respond to the unexpected turn of events, and flickering his eyes back and forth in a wary manner, he bit his lip, nursing a thousand conflicted emotions; but almost immediately, his trademark empathy took over.

"Pokey, I really am sorry," Lucas said softly, placing a hand gently on his shoulder. "I didn't know-"

Pokey roughly shook it off. "D-Don't touch me," he mumbled. "I'm awful. I don't deserve your kindness..."

"Why didn't you just talk to Ness about it?"

"I don't think he'll ever trust me," Pokey said in a muffled voice. He carefully concealed his face, burying his head deep into his chubby arms. "The history between us is a lot more twisted than you think. Ness hates me." Pokey sighed deeply. "All I ever wanted was a friend," he spoke quietly. "Is that really too much to ask for?"

Now Lucas felt awful in spite of himself. All reason and fear screamed at him not to trust the bully, but Lucas wasn't the kind of person who kept grudges. He believed in second chances.

"...Pokey?" Lucas started cautiously, swallowing down his jittery fear. "Why didn't you tell us earlier?"

"I was bullying you, idiot," Pokey snapped before controlling himself. "Do you honestly think your friends would listen to me after I beat you up for the past three years?"

Pokey did raise a fair point. Lucas sighed softly. "I don't know if we could be friends yet, but we could start over again," he offered.

Pokey turned around in shock. "R-Really?"

"Really." Lucas flashed him a kind smile.

Pokey eyed their empty surroundings before flitting his gaze back to him. "So...I guess...do you want to play dodgeball or something?" he fumbled awkwardly.

Lucas hesitated.

Even though he had ultimately decided to give Pokey the benefit of doubt, Pokey's abrupt change in behavior was still concerning. If past memories were anything to go by, Lucas knew that Pokey had a silver tongue, not to mention an extreme loathing for exercise. But Lucas was reluctant to refuse; there was a good chance it might possibly offend the overweight boy, and even though Pokey had _seemed_ like he had found the error in his ways, Lucas didn't want to provoke the bigger boy into bullying him again.

Heat suddenly seared his mind, and Lucas grimaced, shaking his head. In fact, he was starting to feel a bit weak and feverish, and the persisting symptoms worried him considerably.

_I hope I'm not getting sick..._

Romping around was a bad idea. Lucas wanted to rest.

But in the end, empathy overruled his personal desires, and Lucas forced a weak smile. "Dodgeball sounds good," Lucas replied half-heartedly with an energy he did not feel.

However, Pokey's contrite look brightened, further strengthening Lucas's resolve.

_I did the right thing._

"I'll get the ball!" Lucas spoke encouragingly, racing off to the stack of crates.

But when Lucas turned his back, he failed to spot a malignant smirk flash across Pokey's face.

"That's right," Pokey said softly, watching his unsuspecting victim retreat to the basketball court. "Go on. I'll be _right_ behind you..."

.

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~oO0Oo~

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"HOME RUN!" Ness cried out in glee.

"Bruh, heck no!" Ninten vehemently protested. "I already tossed the ball to Claus on home base!"

"No, you didn't! You were _this_ far when my toe touched the base!"

Ninten huffed. "I swore we caught the ball before you arrived! Claus, tell him!"

"Don't drag me into this, Ninten," Claus mumbled grumpily.

"CLAUS!"

"Fine." Claus cocked his head thoughtfully into a reluctant frown. "I think Ness is safe."

Immediately Ninten burst into a frenzied flip-out. "How could you betray me, Claus?" Ninten lamented. "You're my own teammate!"

Claus stifled a laugh. "It's only baseball."

"Only baseball?" An indignant Ninten waved his arms wildly. "_ONLY_ BASEBALL?!"

"Ninten, it's okay," Ness tried to reassure him. "That's only one home run and - wait, what's that sound?"

All three boys turned around to see a wailing ambulance parked on the side of the school.

Ninten squinted. "That's weird...did someone get heat stroke?"

"At this cool temperature?" Ness frowned. "I doubt it."

"Asthma attack?" Ninten suggested. A crowd was now gathered around the gate of the fence.

_Exactly w__here Lucas had been sitting_.

Suddenly Claus froze, feeling cold, sinking dread creep up his spine.

"Asthma attack sounds more probable," Ness continued, oblivious to Claus's growing trepidation. "Hey, Claus, what do you think? Claus...?" In a sudden jolt of movement, the red-head sprinted ahead without warning.

"CLAUS!" Ninten and Ness shouted simultaneously, trying to catch up to the worried twin. In their haste, the distance of the baseball field seemed to increase exponentially. With every step, there seemed to be another mile left to cover, and the carpet of grass seemed to stretch on to infinity.

"Claus, come back!"

But the ginger ignored their cries, opting to dive headfirst into the chaotic crowd. Without hesitation, the other two followed suit. Now they waded desperately through the babbling mass of panicked students. Snatches of hushed conversations flew around their ears.

"I can't believe this happened!"

"This is awful, this is _terrible_-"

"Do you see him?"

"Is he okay?"

"Lucas? LUCAS?" Claus cupped his hands and frantically called out his brother's name, terrified worry seeping into his normally indifferent voice. There was still no sign of Lucas's familiar smiling face, no sign of his characteristic blond cow lick.

Finally, Ness and Ninten caught up and pulled up next to him, panting heavily. "Claus, I'm sure he's fine," Ninten reassured anxiously as Claus roughly pushed his way through the crowd.

But Claus's frantic search was quickly interrupted by someone else. Fuel jumped at his sudden approach. "Claus," Fuel cried, eyes shining in a strange mix of trepidation and horror. "Holy crap! What are you doing here?!"

"What do you mean? I'm in your class!" Claus snapped, trying to sidestep him. But to his immense annoyance, Fuel purposely blocked his path again.

"Fuel. WHAT THE HELL."

"Claus, I think you should turn back," Fuel rushed hurriedly. "I don't think you should...Lucas...He's-he's-"

Ignoring him, Claus stiffly swept the stuttering boy aside.

The first color that caught Claus's eye was red. He registered blood, so much blood splattered everywhere on the road like a grotesque painting. Jagged glass from a nearby dented car window gleamed dangerously like serrated teeth.

And then he spotted that familiar shock of golden hair.

"Lucas?" he managed to croak numbly. Next to him, Claus heard a sharp intake of breath from Ninten, and rubbed his eyes. _This is just a dream, it's all just a really bad nightmare..._

But if this was just a dream, then why was Lucas still lying so pale on the harsh concrete? Like he was-

"No, he's not!" Claus gasped. Awful memories began rewinding in his head.

_Tears coated Hinawa's half-open eyes like snowflakes, her last words weighing heavily on her lips._

Blood trickled down Lucas's face, his clear blue eyes blank and unknowing.

Something snapped inside him. "No. Lucas! LUCAS!" Claus shrieked, lunging forward and shakily stumbled to his twin's side. "Th-This isn't funny, Lucas. Please wake up, wake up!" Kneeling down, Claus roughly shook his twin's shoulders, but Lucas's head only lolled pathetically to the side.

A heavy pair of boots crunched into the concrete behind him. "Young man, please step back," the ER medic gruffly stated in an authoritative tone. Raising his arms, the medic called out loudly. "Bring him on the gurney! He's lost a substantial amount of blood!" As the crew carried Lucas onto the stretcher, Claus scrambled forward.

Immediately, the medic cut his path. "Young man-"

"NO!" Claus bellowed, trying to duck under the medic's arms.

"Claus, calm down," Ness murmured quietly, restraining the struggling twin by the wrists. Ninten was still silently gaping at the scene in shock.

"NO! You don't understand, I can't leave him alone like this, I can't! Lucas! LUCAS!" He screeched helplessly as if his twin could hear his tortured cries. Immediately, Claus redoubled his flailing, but Ness's grip was too firm, and the ginger finally fell limp as he watched the ambulance wail away from the scene.

"Lucas..." He couldn't breathe, everything felt numb, and Lucas, oh gods, _Lucas-_

He heard Ninten let out a cry of shock, and his dizzy vision spun to black.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's note:**

**My exams start next week and should last at least two weeks. I finished up this chapter to pass the time. Thank you for your support! :) Your reviews, favs, and follows are much appreciated!**

**I do not own the Mother/Earthbound series**

* * *

><p>By the next day, everyone knew of the car accident.<p>

Claus's absence in school didn't go unnoticed. When the teachers scrolled down to his name for role call, their expressions would shift to that of immense pity. Even Miss Marshmallow, the stoic Creative English teacher, had reacted to Claus's absence; both Ninten and Ness noticed how her lips seemed to purse into a thin line.

But if all of the staff responded in some way to the tragedy, Giygas remained as sadistic as ever. For someone who taught Calculus exceptionally well and had a brilliant mind, he was also a huge stickler for rules. This often annoyed many of the other students, but surprisingly didn't seem to faze the teacher at all. Giygas hated children - particularly teens - with a loathing passion. Why Giygas had picked up teaching as an occupation was anyone's guess, and many students did their best to avoid irritating the cold man.

In any case, Claus's absence only seemed to have increased his cutthroat tendencies.

"...And it looks like Claus is absent. _Again_." Stopping by the ginger's empty desk, Giygas's cold smile only seemed to widen, and he savagely scribbled a note into his roll book. "Already skipping class at the beginning of freshman year, is he? That's one tardy slip in the record."

"Claus is absent because of a family matter!" Ninten blurted out.

Professor Giygas fixed his icy stare onto him. "Any absence involving family matters must be signed by a parent or guardian, young man. I do not recall you acting as Claus's personal secretary."

Ninten stiffened slightly at the rebuke. "But sir, it was a car accident-"

"Automobile accidents do not exempt students from education," Giygas said bluntly. "Time passes on. What matters most is that you learn as much as you can here and lead fruitful lives." He looked distastefully at Ninten, who was fuming. "Of course, there will be several of you who won't be as fortunate, I dare say. Now, turn to page 29 of your textbook..."

"Ninten, calm down. He's only trying to rile you up," Ness whispered frantically.

Ninten ignored him and abruptly stood up. The class turned deathly silent.

From the first day of school, Ninten easily took on the role of class clown. Maybe it was because of this reputation that Professor Giygas seemed to hate Ninten the most. In fact, he utterly seemed to despise him, and was happy for any reason to show it.

The professor's eyes flashed dangerously. "_Sit down_, Ninten."

"Lucas was hit by a car, and you could at least show the courtesy of respecting Claus's absence by excusing it," he snapped. "It's not like nobody in school knows what happened!"

"The accident was a terrible tragedy," Gigyas waved his hand airily. "However, young boys of your age tend to be rather reckless and are too easily swayed into making careless decisions..."

"Lucas didn't plan to get run over by a drunk driver!" Ninten shouted hotly with his cheeks burning aflame, and clenched his shaking fists. "Don't you dare insult him like that!"

Bristling with fury from at the injustice of it all, Ness felt his own anger bubbling up his throat. Disregarding his own caution, he opened his mouth, ready to yell along with his friend, but halted when he caught Pokey's eye. However, instead of throwing him a sickly-sweet smile or devolving into his usual trademark sneer, the bigger boy flinched and paled nervously at Ninten's outburst.

Ness frowned. _Pokey's acting out of character..._

But he had stared for far too long, and Pokey caught his confused gaze. Immediately throwing a him venomous scowl that looked strangely half-hearted, Pokey sullenly turned away to glare at his chubby palms.

Giygas's hiss snapped Ness out of his brooding thoughts.

"I will tell you again, young man," the Calculus teacher gritted dangerously. "_Sit Down. _I am reaching the end of my line-"

"YOU AND YOUR IDEAS ARE PATHETIC-"

"Detention, Ninten, for an entire week," Professor Giygas cut in curtly. "Disrupt class again, and you'll be written up for expulsion."

Ninten glowered back in utter fury. As he worked his jaw several times, his fists clenched and unclenched at his sides. For a wild second, Ness was worried that Ninten was going to do more than burst into another heated rant, but the Podunk teen only gritted his teeth and dumped himself back into his own seat.

Professor Giygas smirked. "Now then. Turn to the appendix. I will teach you how to derive these formulas..."

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

Claus didn't go to school for a few days.

He couldn't eat much. He couldn't even _look_ at an omelet without thinking of Lucas laughing in the empty chair next to him. The silence at in the dining room was painfully deafening. All eyes were fixated on the dingy, wooden table etched with splinters and scars.

Nobody dared to speak a word.

Finally, Claus couldn't stand it any longer. Abruptly, he jumped up, and his chair clattered noisily to the ground. "May I be excused?"

Without waiting for his grandfather's response, Claus sprinted upstairs before slamming the door shut and diving under the bed covers, hoping to escape from his tortured feelings. Shivering from the unexpected cold, he twisted his blankets around him in a cocoon and scrunched his eyes tightly. He tried hard not to think about his brother's limp form lying uselessly in a hospital bed.

Perhaps none of this was real. Yes, none of this was real, and Lucas was sleeping in the other side of the room. Claus just couldn't see him, that's all.

Sleeping was torture. Claus rarely fell asleep these days, and whatever meager slumber he scrounged usually led to nightmares. Many times, they replayed dreadful flashbacks of his mother's death. And in every single one, he would wake up screaming for her to run before the drunk driver crunched her tiny frame into bloody splinters.

Then there was Lucas. Sweet, shy Lucas who would always manage to slip right out of his reach, dancing tantalizingly close before vanishing into thin air.

"Goodbye, Claus," his brother whispered, before taking a deliberate step onto the cool pavement.

"NO!" Claus stretched out his shaky fingers, but the headlights always blinded him, speeding wheels brutally crunched rough gravel, then there was that awful BEEEEEEEP-

Blood splattered the ground.

Claus awoke with a strangled gasp. He instinctively turned his head. "Lucas?"

There was nobody there. Claus was alone.

Cold sweat poured down his face. Claus doubled over, feeling sour bile claw up his throat in nauseating waves because _oh gods, he hadn't been dreaming at all and Lucas had really been hit by a drunk driver-_

Violently tearing the tangled covers from his legs, Claus dived into bathroom and hurled the contents of his stomach into the toilet. Doubling over, he choked as the slimy bile slid up his throat, and the stinging taste lingered unpleasantly on his tongue. For several seconds, he slumped over, shaking madly with a disheveled, wild look blazing in his eyes.

When the wracks of pain finally subsided, he numbly led himself towards the sink, gripping the cold marble with trembling hands. Eyes flickered up, and he saw his brother's face swimming through the bathroom mirror. Like a drowning man, Claus desperately clutched at his reflection, only for his bare hands to brutally hit the surface of cold, unyielding glass. His reflection was beyond his reach...

Just like his twin brother.

He screamed in anger and punched the mirror, shattering it into a spiderweb of cracked glass. His distorted reflection glared back, and Claus punched it again, not caring if his knuckles were screaming in pain, because this pain was nothing compared to losing his other half...it didn't matter because he was already drowning, drowning, _drowning_ _in despair-_

Lights flickered on. Heavy footsteps thudded against thick wood. Claus vaguely registered someone entering the bathroom, but he didn't know who it was. He couldn't care less.

Gently, but firmly, that person led his fists away from the mirror. Claus buckled from weakness, but the stranger managed to grip his shoulder steadily and steer him back to bed. Before he even hit the mattress, Claus clocked out from exhaustion.

.

.

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~oO0Oo~

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.

.

The next day, Claus awoke in disorientation.

And to the stabbing pain in his left fist.

_Ow. _His neatly-bandaged hands throbbed painfully, and Claus grimaced as a twinge of pain seared through his knuckles. _What the hell?_

But the memories of last night quickly flooded back into his mind, and the dead feeling returned. Claus sighed, and despite the pain, pushed himself impatiently out of bed. There was no way he could sit here and do nothing while Lucas was in the hospital. Heck, he had to do _something_, or it'd drive him completely up the wall-

The bedroom door creaked open. To Claus's surprise, Flint slowly walked in with a bowl of chicken soup. His father awkwardly hovered by his side, and his trademark cowboy hat lay lopsided on his head.

After a long period of uncomfortable silence, Flint finally spoke in his characteristically low rumble. "Don't strain yourself."

The admonition rang uncomfortably in his ears. With a jolt of realization, Claus realized that his father must have woken up to his mirror-breaking tirade last night. "Since when have you ever cared about what I do?" he muttered half-heartedly under his breath, shrugging on his black leather jacket.

Flint extended a hand as though he were going to touch Claus by the shoulder, then thought better of it. "I have always cared for you," he said quietly.

"I'm not falling for one of your pity talks again, _dad_," Claus sneered icily. He clenched his fists, ignoring his screaming knuckles. "Go drink another bottle or something. Isn't that what you always do now?"

Flint's eyes flashed dangerously. "Young man. That's no way to speak to your father."

"If you even call yourself our father anymore," Claus said bitterly. He grabbed his shoes from the stand. "I'm going to visit Lucas."

"Eat first."

"I don't want to eat!" Claus snapped, immediately regretting the crushing weariness that settled in after his short burst of fury.

Flint stiffly shoved the bowl of soup in his hands. "Eat," he said quietly. "I can't bear to lose two of you."

For a split second, Claus caught his father's eyes under his hat. Flint stared back, dark pupils brimming with volumes of unspoken words. Then his father coughed, interrupting their eye-contact, and briskly strode away.

The smooth porcelain bowl felt unexpectedly warm in his frigid fingers. Angrily, Claus stared down at the creamy soup. He had half a mind to pretend that nothing had happened and was sorely tempted to abandon this burden on the bedside cabinet. But some unseen force strangely seemed to prevent him from doing so, and Claus grimly wrestled with his internal turmoil.

But after what seemed like an eternity of unbroken silence, Claus slowly gripped the spoon and dragged a steaming mouthful to his lips. He swallowed with difficulty.

Salty, yet strangely bittersweet.

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~oO0Oo~

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It was his eighth visit.

Every day, Claus checked on his unresponsive brother in the hospital. Like his other trips, Claus always brought along a yellow sunflower with him. This time, however, Ness and Ninten tagged along, hitching their heavy school bags on their backs. For some reason, the usually bright Ninten was unusually surly.

"What's up with you?" Claus muttered.

In response, Ninten shifted, sourly mumbling something incoherent under his breath.

Catching Claus's critical eye, Ness shook his head. _I'll tell you_ later, his violet eyes seemed to say.

Silently, they walked down sickly-white, pristine corridor and entered the farthest room on the left.

_Beep...Beep...Beep..._

Lucas's eyes were closed. A skinny, frail arm hung limply from the side of the bed. Soft puffs of air seemed to escape from his lips as his chest rose and fell in quiet steadiness. White, sterile bandages tightly wrapped around his torso, and ugly IV lines were taped to the arteries in his arms. They could only guess what other grave injuries seemed to lurk underneath the dull, faded hospital gown.

But Claus knew. He had memorized the doctor's final verdict.

Broken 3rd and 4th ribs. Fractured femurs. Ripped Quadriceps. Minor brain trauma. On and on the gruesome list had continued. The only part of his body that seemed unblemished was his pale face. It seemed like both a blessing and a curse that the accident had spared scarring his features from recognition. But to Claus, it was only a cruel reminder of his painful past.

Ness dully slumped into a chair and stared, blankly watching Lucas breathe.

Claus dunked the fresh sunflower into the vase on the bedside cabinet. This sunflower looked radiant compared to the six others he had brought, each one looking slightly more desiccated than the next.

"Hey Lucas. I brought you another sunflower. You like sunflowers, right?" Claus swallowed, his voice cracking. Lucas was always singing, or running around with Boney, or climbing that apple tree in their backyard. Seeing his brother so broken and unmoving was so strange and unreal.

He clenched his sore fists tightly. "Why the hell do they have to keep rolling over innocent people?!" Claus snarled through gritted teeth. His pale blue eyes seemed to gleam with icy anger. "Are the police even trying to catch these drunken sickos?"

"They caught the man yesterday," Ninten pointed out feebly. "He's awaiting a 10 year sentence in prison."

"Some good that does," Claus said bitterly. "That won't bring Lucas back."

Ninten fell silent. He exchanged a quiet glance with Ness. Neither of them seemed to know what to say.

"WHAT HAVE I DONE TO DESERVE THIS?!" Claus suddenly screamed, sweeping his shaky arms violently through the air. The sunflower vase shattered on the ground with a discordant, ear-splitting crash. "HOW IS THIS _FAIR?!_"

Ness raked his eyes over Lucas's prone form. "Lucas wouldn't have wanted you to think like that, Claus-"

"Don't tell me what you think Lucas wants me to do, _Ness_!" Claus spat. "That's what everyone said about my mom when she died from a fucking car accident, and do you see her coming back from the dead? HUH?!"

"Lucas isn't dead," Ness mumbled.

_Yet._ That unspoken word whispered into their ears. It was so tangible that Claus could almost hear it.

"Claus!" Ninten interrupted in a low warning, restraining the ginger before he could do any serious damage. "Get a grip on yourself."

Claus managed to check himself in time. Sullenly, he wrenched himself out from Ninten's grip, then stood still in stony silence.

Ness sank into his chair, seemingly drained of all strength. "How did it even happen?"

Ninten spared a nervous glance in Claus's direction, but the ginger didn't rile up. "...I honestly don't know," he admitted weakly, then hesitantly eyed the sullen twin. "Claus?"

Claus's scowl deepened. "He looked slightly sick," he muttered. "Something must have been up."

Ninten shifted uncomfortably. "Claus, you don't think that Lucas...well..."

Immediately, the ginger stood up abruptly, slamming his hands onto the cabinet. "Oh gods, are you fucking serious, Ninten?" he snapped and his features hardened into a dark, thunderous scowl. "Lucas wouldn't have purposely walked into a truck!"

"I know, I know," Ninten muttered uneasily. "But-"

"He would've had to climb over the fence," Ness finished, his eyes resting on Lucas's limp form. "You've seen how high that thing is. Nobody could've gone over to the other side without climbing over it first."

"What do you mean, Ness?" Claus demanded, his blue eyes flickering between his two friends. "What are you trying to say?"

His breath hitched in his throat; Claus froze as the horrified implications of his words finally sunk in.

"Lucas is NOT suicidal!" he screeched.

Ness's eyes widened. "Claus, I never said-"

"Shut up, Ness!" Claus yelled. Now a storm of grief blinded him, and hot rage bubbled up inside his gut. He was shaking, blue eyes bloodshot. "None of you know Lucas like I do!" He pointed an accusing finger at Ness. "What if this was your sister we were talking about, Ness? Huh? What if _Tracy_ was lying there on the hospital bed all bloody like she's completely dead to the world and-"

"STOP!" Ness roared suddenly. Claus had unknowingly pushed him over an unspoken edge. "Don't drag my sister into this, Claus," he growled in a dangerously low baritone. "I never said that Lucas was suicidal, I only meant that something doesn't add up!"

"Oh gee, my brother was hit by a truck. I wonder what _doesn't_ sound right about that," Claus sneered sarcastically. In response, Ness's scowl deepened into an intimidating furrow.

"Really, guys?" Ninten intervened exasperated, whipping back and forth between Ness's furious glare and Claus's bared teeth. "Are you guys seriously going to start arguing right here?"

But both of his friends ignored him, so Ninten raised his voice. "OI!" he finally snapped, interrupting their intense stare down. "Do you think Lucas would be happy to see you two duking it out over his hospital bed?!"

It was as if he had cast a magic spell.

Immediately, Ness scooted back, looking immensely guilty. Claus flinched, a startled expression flashing across his face before shifting to a contorted look of hurt and wild frustration. Wordlessly, Claus spun on his heel and abruptly stormed out of the room.

Ness slumped over in his chair. "So much for having a nice day," he laughed bitterly, flitting his eyes onto the unresponsive blonde sleeping next to him.

Desperately, Ninten caught his gaze with a look of worry. "He'll be fine...right?"

Neither of them had an answer to that ambiguous question.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's note: I haven't updated this in a while, but again thank you for your reviews and support! ****This chapter was a tad bit difficult to write but I managed to make it flow a bit smoother.**

**The story is going to expand slightly from what I had originally planned (so I wouldn't be boring you all with teenage Claus angst all the time). ****I will change the title/summary if necessary (If I can think of a less corny name), but other than that, the story won't be too drastically different. Just shifting around a few viewpoints and getting a mixed assortment. :) Don't worry; I'll still give ya'll the fair share of Claus love. SHARE THE LOVE**

**Erm...Something you should probably know-I'm a fan of cliff hangers. Yep, that's right, I'm officially an awful person. Join the club.**

**On the other hand...Happy 2015!**

**I do not own the Mother/Earthbound series.**

* * *

><p>"What do you mean you can't play on Friday?"<p>

"I have another detention, remember?" Ninten said glumly. "Stupid Professor Giygas."

Ness ran a hand through his own messy black hair. It didn't take much to realize that the baseball captain was clearly agitated. "But you're one of the best batters out on the field! I hate to say this, but all of the new recruits weren't up to par as I thought! We need every player and veteran accountable for this season." He glanced at him desperately. "Can't you get a parent's note to excuse you from detention?"

Ninten snorted contemptuously. "Fat chance. My parents think I deserved it. And no-" he cut in darkly as Ness opened his mouth again. "I'm not going to ask Giygas. He'll probably use baseball to blackmail me."

"Then what am I supposed to do?!"

"Choose one of the substitute players," Ninten suggested half-heartedly.

Ness scowled darkly. "I know Giygas isn't being fair to you, but he clearly likes to get under your skin on purpose. Don't rise to the bait."

"Easy for you to say!" Ninten cried. "I swear, he picks on _everything_ I do. Dress code, attitude, posture..._Sit up, Ninten. Your shirt isn't tucked in, Ninten. Answer my question, Ninten._ It's like he loves picking on me!"

"I'm sorry, Ninten," Ness said regretfully. "But after Claus dropped the team yesterday, I can't afford any more goof-ups."

"CLAUS DROPPED THE TEAM?!"

"Yeah."

"We need to get him back."

"No shit." Ness rubbed his eyes tiredly with one hand. "But it's like a part of him died ever since he came back to school. He hasn't spoken a word to me after that last hospital visit."

Ninten knew what he meant. Claus had never been approachable to begin with, but now, the ginger simply _oozed_ hostility. He would bristle up with an immensely blood-curdling snarl that promised certain death to the unfortunate soul who dared to disturb him, and everyone knew better than to test his patience.

But Claus was clearly suffering, and if the ginger isolated himself from everyone, he would only hurt himself in the end.

"He needs this, Ness," Ninten urged. The Podunk teen glanced around the courtyard nervously before whispering again. "I'm afraid that Claus might do something stupid. You know how reckless he gets when his feelings go out of control."

"He's not listening to me," Ness said dully. "If you talk, he might, though."

"Me?" Ninten laughed without mirth. Ness was a natural-born leader whose rationality and quick-thinking made him a naturally well-liked person everyone looked up to. If Ness couldn't get to Claus, then Ninten highly doubted that he himself could. "Ness, are we even talking about the same person? We're talking about _Claus_."

"Yeah."

"_Claus_. Ginger hair. Kind of tall and lanky. Has an _extremely_ frightening temper."

Ness snorted. "That's him, all right."

"Ness, are you blind?" Ninten broke out indignantly. "Claus and I argue all the freakin' time! How the hell am I supposed to make him listen if you can't shove reason up his ass?"

"Trust me. You get along with him better than I do."

He had a point there. Ninten winced, remembering how easily Claus had exploded at Ness at the hospital. For the hundredth time that week, he fervently wished that Lucas was here. But he wasn't, and that fact wasn't going to change for a possibly long while.

Ninten caved in. "Fine. I'll talk to him," he sighed glumly. Worry was starting to sink back into his heart. "I might as well try."

"_Trying_ sounds good."

"Look who's talking, you hypocrite!" Ninten huffed out. He rolled his eyes, then threw Ness a sneaking side glance. "Oh, Ness..." he smirked. "What would you ever do without me?"

Ness cracked a smile. "I'd probably live a happier life without your interference."

"You wish." Ninten grunted, throwing him a challenging look. "Just you wait. You'll be eating your words when I'm done clearing up this mess..."

.

.

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~oO0Oo~

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.

.

Mission "Talk to Claus" went badly from the start.

Ninten managed to catch Claus wrenching open his locker. So far, so good.

Violently snatching out textbooks and stuffing them into his bag, Claus radiated an undertone of simmering distress. Under close inspection, Claus looked worse for wear. Gruesome purple-green bags sagged under sunken eyes. His carelessly arranged, yet neat ducktail was strewn in a messy pile of hair. The skin on his face was a sallow yellow, and his thin limbs looked thinner than usual. Overall, Claus clearly represented the epitome of a clearly unhealthy person. No, seriously, if Ninten thought that Claus looked lanky before, he positively looked quite twiggy now.

Ninten swallowed hard. Once he stepped forward, he would be entering the beast's den - an angry, fire-breathing beast with razor-sharp claws and black, nightmarish wings at that. One false step, and oh Dalaamian spirits, he would be signing his death warrant with one foot in the grave. Given that the other foot was, of course, already stuck in his mouth.

_Maybe this wasn't such a good idea..._

But even as scary or as positively murderous Claus was looking right now, he was still a friend. And Ninten didn't have the heart to continue watching him suffer in front of his eyes.

_It was either now or never._

Ninten sidled next to him and coughed.

Claus didn't react.

Ninten coughed louder.

No response.

Ninten hacked his lungs out.

"...Do you need an inhaler, Ninten?" Claus broke out sullenly, eyes glued to his locker.

"No..."

"Then cut it out," the ginger muttered under his breath, obviously in a foul mood. "I don't want your germs all over my stuff."

"...Claus?" Ninten started off warily.

"What?" The disgruntled twin responded, finally turning around to stab him with his piercing blue eyes. "I have to get to class. Make it quick."

Ninten gulped nervously, took a deep breath, then spewed everything out. "I think we should - ack no - I meant _you_ should...um...rejoin the baseball team!"

Claus just stared at him and blinked. "Excuse me?"

"Look, I heard you quit the baseball team. Ness is pretty upset over that," Ninten paused. "Actually, scratch that - we're both kind of bummed."

Claus shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. "No need to feel bummed. Ness can find someone better to fill my spot."

"But you like baseball!"

"I don't feel like playing anymore."

"Dude, are you _trying_ to worry us?! You've been driving me and Ness insane!" Ninten flipped his cap in exasperation. "Don't deny it! Claus, we know that you're worried about Lucas-"

"Ninten-"

"And we know that you're really upset-"

"_Ninten._" Claus's eyes were sparking dangerously now, but Ninten forced himself to plow through.

"But turning yourself into a wreck isn't going to help anyone!"

"Turning myself into a wreck? TURNING MYSELF INTO A WRECK?!" The ugly beast had finally reared its head, the snarling monster awakening in the shape of Claus. Ninten involuntarily took a step back as the beast roared and unleashed its incredible fury. Other students were now stopping to stare at them fearfully.

"Why don't _you_ try not turning yourself into a wreck after your sibling gets plowed down by a goddamn truck!" Claus spat venomously, pushing him roughly onto the ground. "STAY OUT OF MY WAY, NINTEN!"

Claus stormed away, frightened students parting before him easily as he were a deranged murderer wielding an enormous axe. Ninten stared wordlessly at his friend's retreating form before mouthing a word Professor Giygas would definitely bury him alive for.

"Well, _fuck_."

This was a lot harder than he thought.

.

.

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~oO0Oo~

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.

"How did it go?"

"Shut up, Ness."

"Ninten-"

"You set me up on purpose!" Ninten burst out indignantly. "Now look what you've done!"

Ness tried to keep a straight face. "I heard him bellow from three classrooms away."

And as he walked down the empty school hallway, Ninten looked relatively unamused. "_I'll_ say."

"It's okay," Ness sighed. "At least you tried."

Ninten groaned and hid his face in his hands. "Great. Now Claus hates my guts and I'm the laughingstock of the school."

Ness grinned slyly. "Then I guess nothing's changed."

Ninten threw him a rather nasty glare. "Shut up, Ness."

Ness laughed. "You've got to admit it's kind of funny-"

"No, it's not!" Ninten snapped.

Ness sighed heavily. All the mirth seemed to have drained from his features. "I know. It's not..." A pause. "But I was really being serious."

Ninten snorted. "About how I'm still laughingstock of the school?"

"No, I really thought he'd open up to you." Ness shiftily threw him a side-glance. "Claus did say _something_, right?"

"If you count _yelling my ears off and hollering bloody murder_, then yeah, Claus said _something_," Ninten said sarcastically as they stopped in front of Giygas's classroom. "But no thanks to you, we're back to square one. Anything else you want to tell me, _captain_?"

Ness frowned. "Now that you mention it, I _do_ have something else to tell you. Have you noticed anything odd about Pokey lately?"

"Like what?" Ninten immediately answered, starting to feel curious about where the conversation was heading.

Ness hesitated. "He seemed a little subdued."

"Subdued?" Ninten snorted in derision. "Ness, I bet he's just disappointed that he didn't finish off Lucas himself-"

"I don't think so," Ness interrupted with a frown. "He hasn't gone out of his way to confront us after Lucas got hit. And if you haven't noticed, he's in our Phys Ed class too."

Ninten opened his mouth, then closed it in shock. "You're right," he finally blurted out. A horrible thought seized his mind. "Hey, you don't think-"

The classroom door suddenly swung open from behind them, and Professor Giygas stepped out. Staring down at them, his lip slowly curled in distaste. "Ninten. I believe I explicitly instructed you to come straight to detention, _not_ to socialize with your friends."

"See you later, Ness," Ninten mumbled despondently, stepping into the classroom. Professor Giygas bluntly shut the door behind him with a steely click.

Ness clenched his fists. Giygas was treating Ninten like scum, and there was nothing he could do to stop him. Consumed in boiling frustration, he stormed off. Eventually, he found himself walking down the sidewalk home, almost boring a hole through the sidewalk with his intense glare.

"N-Ness?"

Ness looked up startled. He'd recognize that familiar, frightened voice anywhere. "Picky?"

The younger boy quickly glanced sideways before nervously wringing his fingers. "D-Do you know what's wrong with Pokey? He hasn't been very responsive lately a-and my parents are getting w-w-worried," he stammered. Frightened tears were beginning to form in his eyes. "H-he wouldn't tell me when I t-tried to ask him…Y-You were his friend…C-can you tell me what's going on?"

The older boy stared at him dumbfounded before wordlessly shaking his head in bewilderment. He had suspected that Pokey was acting oddly, but now that Picky was flatout noticing…

"Oh. Okay." Picky deflated, looking defeated.

"Sorry I couldn't help."

"It's fine," Picky mumbled. "You tried."

Ness threw him a look of concern. "Are you lost? I can walk you home-"

"No, no, I'm good," Picky said quickly. "M-my brother's s-supposed to meet me here..."

"PICKY!" A giant bellow that made them both jump. "_There _you are! Come on, useless, I don't have all day to-"

Pokey stopped abruptly. For a second, he could only stare dumbly at his former friend. Ness only returned the gaze with unreadable violet eyes. During this brief scrutiny, Ness noticed that Pokey had thick, purple bags under his eyes. In fact, he almost looked almost as tired as Claus did.

Grabbing Picky's hand, Pokey stomped away in a huff, leaving Ness to furrow his eyebrows in confusion.

_What's going on, Pokey?_

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.

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~oO0Oo~

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.

.

_"Claus, we know that you're worried about Lucas-"_

Claus angrily kicked open the front door. Who did Ninten think he was, pretending to know how he felt?

_"And we know you're really upset-"_

Fuming, he hurled his school bag onto the living room floor-

_"But turning yourself into a wreck isn't going to help anyone!"_

"Stupid Ninten."

_Stupid Ninten who's actually right,_ his mind whispered back.

"Shut it." Claus scowled darkly. "_Perfect._ Now I'm talking to myself. The first step to insanity."

_But he's right, you know. _That voice in his mind insisted. _When was the last time you've actually eaten for real?_

"I don't care."

_If you broke down completely, you wouldn't be able to help anyone._

"Not that I _could _help anyone in the first place," Claus said bitterly, thinking about his dead mother and comatose brother, not to mention his drunk father.

Everything was crumbling around him, and suddenly, he felt so _drained_. Exhausted, Claus flopped onto the couch and sank into the cushions deepy. He closed his eyes.

"I can't help anyone," he mumbled despondently.

"Claus?"

Once he heard that voice, Claus dully opened his eyes. Flint stood at the doorway, staring down at him with an unfathomable expression on his face. Claus flushed; the last thing he wanted to do was show off his state of weakness to his _father_, and his expression of misery suddenly shifted to that of defiance.

"...I'm back from school," Claus mumbled under his breath. Had Claus looked up, he might have noticed that his father's palms were shaking uncontrollably in spasms, that Flint was leaning slightly against the wall for support. But Claus continued to glare stonily at the floor.

It hurt Flint to see him like this. Claus reminded him too much of his energetic, yet stoic self, and Lucas took after Hinawa's shy, warm personality. With Lucas gone, there was no mediator. The bridge between them had all but crumbled, leaving them no choice but to stay separated by the wild torrents of built-up resentment and deep-rooted anger.

But despite the cold mask of indifference Claus was now wearing, his eyes betrayed him. They reflected conflicting emotions: anger, pain, sadness, confusion, a silent plea-

Flint slowly stumbled over. The two sat side-by-side in silence, but for some reason, Claus didn't feel like the silence was cold and uncomfortable. Rather, it felt reassuring: it was the presence of company who understood the same pain.

Suddenly Flint coughed. "I...I quit drinking. I figured I should take care of the farm a little more. Sow more crops. Raise more cattle. Save more money for our family."

Claus felt stunned. "That's...good," he managed to say.

His father shifted uncomfortably. "It ain't gonna be easy," he admitted bluntly. "But it's the right thing to do."

Claus had no idea what to say to that. Flint had literally given up all hope after Hinawa's death. Lucas's car accident should have been more than enough to make his father crumble into ruin, but here this strange man stood, vowing to rise up and rebuild his world from the ashes.

_Then what kind of person does that make me?_ Claus thought. He watched his father struggling to stand up, but instead of a dead look, a determined spark now gleamed in Flint's eye.

_"Turning yourself into a wreck isn't going to help anyone."_

"You're damn right, Ninten. I'm not going down without a fight," Claus said out loud. He finally noticed his father's unsteady gait as he walked away, then realization finally hit. _W__ithdrawal symptoms?_

Abruptly, Claus bolted to his feet and looped one of his father's arms around his shoulders for support. Flint looked just as surprised as he did at first, and for a second his frown furrowed in deep-rooted confusion, but in time, his lips slowly twitched upwards in an expression of warm gratitude. Claus returned it with a small smile.

It was a tiny step - a baby step - but at least they were finally going in the right direction.

Then Alec burst in, interrupting the rare sentimental moment. "FLINT! CLAUS!" He gasped, clutching at his stitch. "...The doctors...T-they said...Hospital called-"

"Slow down, good man," Flint rumbled. Then the full meaning of Alec's words hit him, and he raised an eyebrow. "The hospital did what now?"

FIlled with rising trepidation, Claus's stomach sank like a stone. Alec took a shuddering breath in a vain attempt to calm himself, then managed to sputter out the final words to his sentence.

"Lucas is in critical condition."


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's note:**** Hey guys! School just started so updates will be a little slower. However, I decided to post this up and save ya'll the wait. ****Your support is once again, very welcome. Many thanks!**

**Thank you for your time!**

**I don't own the Mother/Earthbound series.**

* * *

><p>They sped over to the hospital in a mad rush. The outside scenery blurred into a trail of unidentifiable colors as the car weaved through the roads at an alarming rate. Flint himself was gripping the steering wheel so tightly that his fingers were turning an alabaster white. Sitting beside him, Alec didn't fare any better; the man looked as old and fragile as every year of his age. Claus could only stare dumbly ahead at the windshield from the back seat.<p>

Immediately when they had checked in at the hospital, the family hurried into Lucas's room without second thought. The doctor was already inside, waiting for them to appear. While Flint and Alec stopped to consult the doctor, Claus sprinted towards the bedside and desperately grasped Lucas's hand as if it were a lifeline. Lucas's face was abnormally flushed, and he was shivering despite the layers of bedsheets that covered him.

"What's wrong with my son?!" Flint demanded.

The doctor looked at him with sad eyes. A bad sign.

"He was healing remarkably well despite the mild fever that seemed to persist since his accident. We did not notify you as it seemed relatively minor, but the fever's hiked up to dangerously high temperatures during the past hour." The doctor mopped his head with a handkerchief. "We've done everything we can, but there's no stopping it. His fever's already hit 110 degrees and counting."

"Isn't there anything else you could do to save him?" Alec pleaded.

"I don't understand how, but the major internal damage done to his organs was healed almost completely during the past few days. But even at his improving state, we don't want to risk surgery." The doctor looked at him bleakly. "To be frank, we were surprised that the fever hadn't burned him out already. At this rate, the heat will soon denature his proteins and kill him within the hour." The doctor gazed with sorrow. "We thought you'd like to be present for his last moments-"

Flint strode over and shook the doctor roughly. "Do something!"

"I can't!"

"Flint-" Alec chimed in weakly.

"THAT'S MY SON LYING THERE!" Flint bellowed. "YOU CAN'T LET HIM DIE!"

"Please sir, I'm sorry but-"

Without a word, Flint rushed out the door after sweeping his hat abruptly over his eyes, deaf to the cries of the terrified doctor and despairing father-in-law. The two men looked at each other briefly before sprinting after the distraught farmer.

"FLINT! Come back!"

Clamoring pleas and desperate calls, the adults filed out of the room in seconds, leaving Claus alone in the cold, empty room.

"Lucas," Claus whispered, carefully tucking one of his twin's sweaty blond locks of hair behind his ear. Lucas gave no sign that he had heard him, and only breathed rapidly in irregular gasps through the foggy breathing mask.

Claus squeezed his twin's hand tightly. "Can you can hear me?"

No response from his twin except for the loud beeping of the heart monitor.

Claus suddenly choked, feeling his dry throat closing up. "Please, Lucas, hold on a little longer..."

But of the two of them, Claus knew that death was inevitable, ready to reap another soul. As the ginger weakly watched his brother silently struggling to live, he almost laughed bitterly at the absurdity of the situation, at the unfairness of the world.

_Just how much more pain could one person take?_

WIth pained effort, Lucas heaved another rattling gasp-

Then his body fell limply back onto the bed. The heart monitor petered out monotonously in a flat line, signaling the sudden end of a short life.

Claus blinked, staring at his lifeless twin lying motionless on the bed. Everything felt so surreal...but Claus could no longer deny the painful truth: Lucas was dead.

Claus swallowed hard, averting his eyes from his brother's prone form. _At least it was quick...he didn't have to suffer too long..._

Suddenly, Claus doubled over when he felt an extremely hot sensation explode in his head. He grimaced as the painful heat seared through his entire body, scorching his weak limbs and aching bones. Feeling his knees buckle beneath him, CLaus collapsed onto the hospital bed, and all the while felt the sickening woozy sensation grow in his gut.

But through the haze of pain and nausea, Claus refused to loosen his grip on his brother's body...he would never let go, no matter what...

"L-Lucas," Claus murmured, black dots beginning to gnaw at the corners of his vision. "I'm...I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you..."

Everything around him blurred thickly, the entire room spun, and voices, there were voices _everywhere_-

_Claus?_

The last thing he remembered was a steady heartbeat.

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

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.

.

Claus awoke in a field of sunflowers.

Caught by confusion, he abruptly sat up. The sun was shining brightly overhead, the sky a beautiful shade of azure blue. In his ears, the beautiful melody of bird song chirped through the air in perfect harmony. Everything looked deceptively perfect.

Ever the skeptic, Claus cocked his eyebrow, eyeing the pristine field in rising doubt. "Haha, very funny," he demanded suspiciously, narrowing his eyes into slits. "Joke's over, Ninten. If you seriously spiked something in my food, I'm going to-"

"Claus! Wake up!"

Lucas suddenly appeared, tugging his hand, and Claus retreated back in alarm. "What the-? Lucas? But-wha-how?" he sputtered.

Lucas only grinned, sticking out his tongue. "Race you! Last one there is a rotten omelette!" Without waiting for him, Lucas immediately darted away with a remarkable agility.

Obviously by this point, Claus was sorely confused by the turn of events. However, leaping to his feet without pause, Claus chased after his twin in hot pursuit. His stubborn streak urged him to run faster without question; the possibility of losing Lucas again wasn't an option.

"Where are we going?" he yelled. In response, Lucas only sprinted faster. Claus sped up to match his pace. "Fine then, don't answer me. That's cool too."

Lucas only shot him an amused look before continuing on his path. Sunflower after sunflower they passed, the sun's rays and wind filling them up with life. To his alarm, Claus spotted a very familiar cliff edge looming in front of them, and skidded to a halt.

"LUCAS!" Claus screeched in horror, darting forward and yanking his brother back to safety.

Lucas eyed him in confusion. "Claus? Are you okay?"

"You were going to jump off that cliff!"

Lucas took one look at Claus's sweaty, indignant face before bursting into peals of laughter. "No, I wasn't. Did you think I was?"

"...No."

"Liar."

"Am not!" Claus's face was a shade of tomato red. "And why the heck are we here?" He observed the majestic view of the rustic village from the wondrous clifftop. "Where is this place?"

"Boys..."

Claus stiffened. This voice...he hadn't heard this voice since she had died all those years ago...

"MOM!" Lucas yelled happily as he ran over to greet his mother. Hinawa embraced him with equal warmth and enthusiasm. Peering over at Claus, she suddenly sported a mischievous smirk.

"Come on, Mr. Grumpy-grumps, I know you want a hug too," she said cheekily, opening her arms out wider. Blinking back the sudden tears of emotion, Claus didn't hesitate to accept the invitation, running into her embrace. He breathed in deeply. His mother still smelled of warm sunflowers and rose water.

"I...I missed you," Claus said hoarsely, finally withdrawing from her embrace.

"As have I," Hinawa said softly, ruffling his hair gently.

"Where are we?" Claus asked. Suddenly feeling scared, he chanced a look back at his younger brother. "Lucas...you, you were dying in the hospital-" Claus abruptly paused in mid-speech, caught by a sudden thought. "Are we dead?"

Hinawa held a faraway look in her eyes. "I am dead," she agreed. "You two, on the other hand...you are both currently standing between the realm of life and death."

"But how-?"

"Claus, listen to me. I don't have much time left. You will find out in due time," Her voice strained. Claus could tell; the sunflowers were beginning to look transparent.

He nodded, and Hinawa looked relieved.

"You and your brother have unlocked a dangerous power within you. A psychic power that may cause dire consequences if it falls into the wrong hands." She opened her hands. "In some people, this power slumbers, ready to be awakened into use."

In spite of himself, Claus raised his trembling fingertips. He certainly didn't _feel_ different. "But then..."

"You can't see it, Claus, but it's there," Hinawa said softly. "Your PSI, once dormant, is very much _alive, _even now as we speak. How you awaken your psychic powers differs from person to person, and it looks like you've finally unlocked yours."

"Your power..." Hinawa gazed at them gravely. "...is Love."

Lucas nodded seriously.

Claus felt extremely let down. "...Oh."

Hinawa laughed, a delicate, tinkling bell-like sound. "Do not underestimate love, Claus. Love might not seem like much...But it is perhaps the most powerful force in the universe. Love can be used to hurt people, yet heal others. Love is the passion that drives us, Love is the sentiment that brings us together. That same love for your brother unlocked the power within you." Her skin was starting to shimmer; Claus could see the blue sky through her now fading dress.

"But now that you know of its presence, keep it safe until the need arises. Psychic powers are rare, but for twins to share the same power...the strength of its awakening will certainly have attracted unwanted attention."

She knelt down and firmly gripped the startled ginger. "Protect each other. _Trust _each other."

Claus could only nod wordlessly.

Hinawa relaxed, and withdrew from him with a sigh of relief. She was now a faint shade in the background. "Please stay safe, my sons."

The background blurred into blocks of color. His mother's voice was now just a mere whisper in the wind.

_...I love you._

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.

.

~oO0Oo~

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.

He was submerged in blissful darkness.

Claus felt weirdly energized and completely exhausted at the same time. His limbs were useless weights sinking into the bed, and his fingers tingled sharply as if he had pins and needles. Although soft sheets covered him, he felt as if he had swallowed several ice cubes. Claus shivered.

Suddenly, there was the crisp sound of ruffling sheets. Someone was sitting close by, running their fingers in his sweaty hair.

"Claus?" A whisper. "Are you awake?"

_Claus?...Claus?...Claus?..._The voice echoed painfully in his ringing head.

"I had the...strangest dream," Claus croaked. His eyelids stayed closed; they rested heavily on his face. "Lucas was there, and mom was too. We were at the old sunflower field, remember?" He wrenched his eyes open a slight crack. The darkened figure in his vision blurred nauseatingly. "Is that you, Lucas? Are you dead?"

He felt the stranger shift slightly, and suddenly felt afraid. "Don't. Don't leave me, Lucas. Stay," Claus slurred.

Smooth fingers trailed across his palm in soothing circles, before a hand gripped his palm reassuringly. A comforting presence brushed against his mind, and Claus felt the turbulent nightmares melt away into the deepest crevices of his soul.

_Sleep, Claus..._

And with a last sigh, Claus fell into peaceful dreams.

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.

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~oO0Oo~

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.

.

"Claus?" Something cold and wet poked his face.

His eyes shot open. Ninten's face was less than an inch away from his, wide eyes staring down at him curiously.

"AAAAH!" Claus instinctively flinched, accidentally knocking his head against his.

"OW! Seriously, Claus?" Ninten yelped, falling off the bed and smacking his rear painfully. He dropped the wet rag clenched in his left hand, and ruefully glared at him.

"Geez, Ninten, I didn't want to wake up to your face! What a nightmare," Claus grumbled, rubbing his throbbing head. He looked up, squinting from the afternoon light. Suddenly, he finally realized that he was sitting in a familiar looking bedroom...

Ness popped up behind a still-complaining Ninten, and waved sheepishly. "Hey Claus! Sorry for startling you. Your dad told us you were knocked unconscious by a fever and invited us over by the way." He set down the ice pack he had been holding onto the floor.

Ninten whistled. "Some fever it must have been. You've been home for three days. We heard your dad thinking to take you to the hospital this morning until it rapidly shot down a few hours ago."

"I was out for three days?" Claus said stunned. Then suddenly everything rushed back to him. He had been rushing to the hospital because...

"Lucas? Where's Lucas?" He blurted out in alarm. Ninten and Ness shot each other silly grins just as the bedroom door shot open, revealing a familiar golden-haired boy dressed in a cooking apron.

"Hey, what's going on here? Is something wrong?" Lucas chirped worriedly, shooting Ninten and Ness an anxious look before both black-haired friends started cracking up uncontrollably. The blond rolled his eyes good-humoredly. "Hardy, har, har. Cut it out guys, making loud noises was funny the first time, but this is like the seventh time you've done it, and I don't want to burn the omelettes again-"

"Lucas?" Claus said hoarsely. Lucas suddenly froze. The blonde swiveled around and plastered the hugest grin Claus had ever seen on his face.

"Claus?"

"LUCAS!" Claus yelled in glee, suddenly leaping out of bed to tackle his brother onto the floor. Lucas yelped as Claus ruffled his hair, caught him in a headlock, then crushed him in the biggest bear hug he could give him. Lucas scrabbled at his arms desperately.

"C-Claus...t-too tight...can't breathe," he managed to wheeze out.

"You idiot! When that truck ran into you, I thought-! AUGH!"

"Woah, Claus, you should really ease off of poor Lucas a bit," Ness grinned, watching Lucas flounder pathetically across the floor. "We literally did the same thing when he was released from the hospital two days ago. The doctors were pretty alarmed by how quickly he recovered."

"Ness almost choked him by accident," Ninten added. Ness gulped as the Beast arose slightly hopefully, sniffing the air. Claus's overprotective brotherly senses kicked in, and the redhead gave the baseball captain the evil eye while simultaneously loosening his grip on Lucas.

"I didn't actually choke him, honest!" The poor baseball captain squeaked. Claus threw him one last half-hearted glare before succumbing to giddiness. How could he not? Lucas was alive, all was well at school, and - Wait a minute! -

"...Why aren't you guys at school?" Claus squinted suspiciously at Ninten. "Did you guys skip class or something? Knowing Ninten, he's probably done something crazy like become a hobo truant."

"I did not!" Ninten protested. "And it's Saturday, you jerk!" He held up his wet rag. "We've been helping Lucas look after you and caught him up on homework."

"..." Claus was actually struck speechless by that. "...You did?"

"Heck yeah, I did!" Ninten said, looking smug. "'Cause I'm _responsible_."

"It was my idea!" Ness chimed in.

"Ness just tagged along."

"HEY!"

Claus pinched himself. "Ninten, wake me up whenever responsible ever describes you, because I think I'm still dreaming."

Ninten threw him an offended look, then set pleading puppydog eyes onto Lucas. "Oh, come on, Lucas can back me up, right?"

"Yeah, Ninten has been a huge help-" Lucas glanced around to see Ness and Claus glaring evilly at him then squeaked, "Uh, I think I need to check if the omelettes are burning-"

"NOT TODAY, LITTLE BROTHER!" Claus shouted gleefully, pushing his brother roughly aside as he ran across the room. "I'm cooking the omelettes!"

"Claus! I'm only younger than you by two minutes!" Lucas yelled as he frantically followed him.

Laughing, Ness sprinted towards the door before realizing that Ninten had not yet budged an inch from his position on the floor. "Ninten, you coming?" He asked, pausing by the doorway.

Ninten jerked out of his daze. "Huh? Oh yeah, I'm coming, you go on ahead." He threw Ness a grin of reassurance. Satisfied by his response, Ness followed suit of the twins, and in several seconds Ninten heard his excited voice join the others.

Suddenly, the Podunk boy sighed. With a rueful look, he looked at his hands, his grin faltering. Ninten gave a burst of concentration, and a few sparks of energy wrapped around his fingers before he extinguished them.

"Ninten, you can do this. You can tell your friends one day. They'll understand, right?" Ninten imagined his friends scorning him if they ever saw what he could do. Words like "Freak show" and "Monster" ran through his mind, and he flinched involuntarily. _What if they hate me for being abnormal?_

A sudden shriek. "Ninten! Help us!"

_Another time. I'll tell them another time._ Ninten resolved, looking determined before bracing himself for whatever mischief Claus had caused.

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~oO0Oo~

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Ninten was completely unprepared for the fiasco in the kitchen.

"Do something, Lucas!"

"Claus, don't wave it around like that!" The younger twin yelped as his head narrowly avoided the flaming fireball of doom.

The frying pan in Claus's clutches was on _fire_.

Ness was doing his best to put it out, waving his hat over it to extinguish it. "Get some water!" he yelled.

Lucas ran over to the sink and frantically turned the valves on to max. Nothing happened. His face paled. "Dad must have forgotten to pay the water bills again!"

"OH F-!"

"Claus!"

"-iddlesticks," Claus hastily caught himself at Lucas's disapproved tone.

Ninten stood there, mouth agape. "What in the holy name of PSI-"

Lucas ran out of the room. "I'll check the bathroom," his muffled yells resounded as his footsteps thundered down the hallway.

"We're doomed!" Claus finally screamed, throwing the pan into the dry sink. The red head was a total emotional wreck. "I can't believe I'm about to die after I wake up from a fever!"

"Steak sauce!" Ness suddenly yelled, still fanning the burning pan.

"What?" Ninten looked at him as if he were crazy. "Ness, I know you like steak and all, but this is ridiculous-"

"No! There!" Ness pointed at the large steak sauce container on the cabinet. "It might help put the fire out!"

"Might?"

"What other choice do we have?!"

The door suddenly opened and a giant bellow made them all flinch. "OUT OF THE WAY!" Immediately a hose sprayed over the entire kitchen, dosing the flames out. When the forceful current of water suddenly stopped, the sopping children turned around to face an alarmingly unamused Flint.

"Uh, hi dad," Claus piped up nervously, his hair flattened down from being drenched by the flood of water.

"What the devil happened here?" Flint's voice sounded dangerous.

Claus gulped. "Well...we were cooking omelettes-"

"I wasn't," Ninten muttered. Ness elbowed him to shut up.

"-and the pan caught on fire," Claus finished lamely. Flint simply stared at him.

"Then why didn't you douse it with water?"

"We tried, but I think we forgot to pay the water bills 'cause no water was coming out of the faucet."

Flint blinked. "No, I paid in time. The kitchen sink's just broken. I came in to fix it."

"Oh."

The silence was so profound that Claus swore he could hear crickets chirping in the background. Flint looked first at Ninten, then Ness, then Claus with an unreadable expression. Frowning, the intimidating man opened his mouth-

"I brought some water-WAAaaaah!" Lucas yelped as he accidently tripped over his feet in his haste. The bowl of water flew from his hands like a frisbee, and overturned right on Flint's head with a huge splash. Lucas froze, an expression of utmost horror on his face. Claus admitted that the comical sight would've been funnier had the situation not been so serious.

"Dad! I'm so sorry! Oh no, I didn't mean to get you wet!" Lucas babbled anxiously. Flint said nothing, and lifted the empty bowl from his sopping hair. He wordlessly gazed at Lucas, who was now profusely streaming apologies.

"Lucas. Come here."

"...?" Lucas slowly looked up frightened at Flint's stony expression.

Then suddenly to their surprise, Flint caught Lucas square in the face with a hose of water.

"AUGH!" Now Lucas was dripping wet, sputtering out water. His long hair hung down in layered curtains like his twin's.

Ninten snickered. "Nice hairstyle, Lucas."

"And you two!" Flint sprayed him in the chest, and caught a yelping Ness who had been standing beside him.

Claus gulped at Flint's mischievous stare fixate on him. He backed away slowly as his father advanced with a predatory gleam in his eye. "...and I think we still have one more person left..."

"Dad...! Come on, this isn't fair!" Claus tried to plead. "I just woke up-"

"Now boys!"

With an anguished howl, Claus tried to run but was dragged down when his brother and friends latched onto his legs. He toppled over with a shriek.

"No, No, NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

And thus the mighty beast was hosed down.

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~oO0Oo~

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Sighing in deep satisfaction, Claus shifted, turning over in his mattress. After Alec had arrived to lecture Flint for hosing the kitchen - Flint's playful smirk didn't even falter as he tried his best to look contrite - Ness and Ninten had gone home. For the first time in a while, they had sat together as a family for dinner and _talked_. It was a lively atmosphere buzzing with energy as he and his twin brother had chattered about this and that while Alec and Flint had listened and occasionally added in their own two cents.

"Lucas?"

"...Yeah, Claus?"

"I'm really glad you're okay," he said sincerely. He felt his brother's smile from the other side of the room despite the darkness.

"Me too."

But there was one thing Claus had not yet forgotten.

"Lucas?"

"...Hmm?" Lucas's voice trailed off sleepily.

Claus scrunched his eyes closed into a frown. "On the day of the accident...Why were you out on the road? Why did you climb over the fence?"

"Huh?"

"You know what I'm talking about."

He heard Lucas shift uneasily in his bedsheets. "Claus..."

"I'm waiting."

He heard Lucas's sharp intake of breath. There was a loud rustle of bedsheets as Lucas abruptly sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and dangling his feet on his bed. Sensing his twin's troubled disquiet, Claus softly crawled over, sidling next to him in a snug manner. Two mirroring pairs of blue eyes met: one filled with fearful uncertainty, the other with confident compassion.

Lucas finally spoke.

"That day..." Lucas trailed off, looking vastly reluctant to continue, but Claus nodded, and taking courage from this, the younger plowed back into speech. "Pokey approached me when you went off to play baseball."

"-and he shoved you into the road?" Claus said loudly, eyes bulging in fury. "That sadistic-"

"NO!" Lucas looked at Claus with amusement. "Can you stop jumping to conclusions and let me finish?"

"..." Claus still looked like he wanted to interrupt, but he nodded reluctantly.

"...He came to apologize and offered to play dodgeball," Lucas said softly. The blonde fidgeted slightly. "I...I didn't believe him at first, but he really seemed sincere..."

Claus still didn't like where this was heading. He had recognized similar situations many times in the past. "Lucas, you didn't-"

"I want to give him another chance."

Claus groaned, setting a hand on his forehead. "What am I going to do with you? Lucas, I get that you want to help everyone, and that's really sweet of you, but this...this is just _stupid!_ Some people _don't_ deserve kindness, and they won't change no matter how much you want them to!"

Abashed by Claus's rebuke, Lucas flushed, but he said nothing, only opting to cross his arms stubbornly. He just _knew_ that Pokey hadn't been completely lying to him, and he desperately wanted to explain his gut feeling, but Claus certainly would not understand, much less _want_ to understand; also, given the sensitivity of the subject, Lucas clamped his mouth shut, deciding it would be wiser not to pursue it.

"So...what happened next?"

His twin's voice jolted Lucas out of his reverie. Claus's face looked ashen, as if he knew the rest of the story would get much worse; yet the expression on his face remained remarkably stubborn. Lucas winced; he knew that look. There was no way Claus was simply going to let him wiggle out of this one.

"Claus..."

"It's okay! I promise not to laugh." As if understanding his internal conflict, Claus's expression softened, and he sent his twin a reassuring nod.

However, Lucas's eyes clouded once again with uncharacteristic frustration. "No, I _can't_ tell you that either!"

"Darn it, Lucas! I don't care!" Claus gripped his shoulders firmly, making Lucas stare back at him in alarm. "I don't care if you said that aliens did it, I just want to _know_." His blue eyes bored into his piercingly. "Don't you think I deserve to have some answers after you left me hanging for the past week?"

Lucas brushed the ginger off roughly. "Claus, I can't tell you! It just...doesn't make any sense!"

"_What_ doesn't make sense?" Claus demanded. Both twins were now close to a breaking point, with Claus looking incredibly exasperated and Lucas looking like he was going to cry.

"It doesn't make sense because I saw _you_ standing in the middle of the road!"


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note**: **Hey guys!**

**I managed to finish writing this chapter. Midterms are already starting at the end of this week, therefore the next chapter might not come out for another month or so. Because of that, this is by far the longest chapter. In the meantime, I'll continue writing up the next chapters. :) Writing is really something I enjoy and eases up stress.**

**Again, your support is rad. It really gives me a kick and incentive to finish writing whatever crappy chapter I started to work on (to be honest, this one was a little tricky to get right and I'm not honestly sure if I'm happy with it haha). But I still think it's pretty cool to post in a website where a community of mother series fans exist. I know I've said this before, but seriously, you guys rock.**

**P.S. I started reading _The Notebook_ series by Agota Kristof (on which Mother 3 is based off of as you probably already know). It's dark, but the novel is definitely a classic. Her style of writing never fails to send shivers down my spine. I would recommend it if you want to read it.**

**To reduce confusion:**

"Talking."

_Thinking/Telepathy._

**[Insert appropriate disclaimer here].**

* * *

><p>Claus's stomach dropped unpleasantly. "What?"<p>

"You were waving at me from the middle of the road," Lucas said softly. "Pokey told me that he'd keep lookout, and when I saw the car barreling towards you, I tried to pull you out of the way." Lucas slowly shook his head in confused bewilderment. "But then...you disappeared."

Claus gaped. "I _disappeared_?"

Lucas nodded.

"B-But I was playing baseball with Ness and Ninten the entire time!" Claus stammered in shock. "I never climbed over the fence!"

"...You didn't?"

"No!"

"Oh." Now Lucas hugged his knees, looking absolutely frightened out of his wits. "C-Claus, I think I-I'm going insane," he broke out fearfully. "Abnormal things've been happening to me-"

"Like what?

Lucas screwed his eyes into a thoughtful frown. "Like...right before I was hit by the car...I didn't feel too well."

"Yeah, you looked completely deadbeat." Claus looked concerned. "Did you have a fever?"

"I think so, except I felt like my head was going to burst into flames." Lucas shuddered uncomfortably. "And then...back at the hospital...I think I died."

"You _were_ dead for a few seconds."

"No, I mean, _died_ died. For real."

"I know. Your heart stopped for a few seconds," Claus pointed out.

"Yeah, but...that's not what I mean." Lucas violently shook his head in frustration. "I'm _supposed_ to be dead, Claus! But something happened, someone healed my injuries and I don't...I don't _remember-" _Lucas paused with a grimace. "I shouldn't be alive."

"Don't say that!" Claus gave an audible gulp, choking back a sob of stubborn denial. "Lucas, don't you _ever_ say that!"

"I'm supposed to be dead…" Lucas repeated, a dazed look on his face. "I-I...I even saw mom..."

"I did too." Claus interrupted.

"Our dreams were connected?" Lucas's eyes widened. "But h-how...?"

Claus cut across him. "Do you think it's our psychic powers?"

In response, Lucas paused, staring at him blankly. Feeling rather silly for bringing up such a question, Claus laughed nervously, wildly waving his words aside in a feeble attempt to joke. "B-But that's stupid, right? Psychic powers don't exist!"

Lucas didn't respond. Slowly, a look of immense concentration flashed through his face before he raised his right hand into the air. "PK Shield Alpha," he whispered. A tiny hexagonal spark blossomed at the tip of his index finger, expanding into the air like a holographic snowflake.

"What the fuck-" Claus cursed and hastily back-pedaled back onto the bed in shock.

Lucas jolted guiltily. "Sorry, Claus! I should've warned you-"

_It's okay_.

Lucas's eyes widened. "C-Claus, did you just-"

The red head grinned. "Yeah. I figured that this telepathy thing could work both ways. Before I passed out at the hospital, I heard your voice, but I thought my mind was playing tricks on me." Claus shifted his gaze. "And then last night...That was you again, wasn't it?"

Lucas looked embarrassed at being caught. "Sorry, you looked like you were about to have a nightmare, and I didn't want to intrude, but-"

"Thanks," Claus said sincerely.

Lucas studied him closely, registering the look of gratitude on his brother's face, before relaxing into a smile. "No problem."

Experimentally, Claus opened and closed his palm. As if he had downed an entire candy bar, the elder twin felt strangely energized, literally feeling immense psychic power thrumming though his body in waves. Strange words instinctively caught on his breath, floating in his mind like an arsenal ready to be used. _PK...PK...PK..._

Claus let loose a disgruntled grumble. "Great. So I guess that means we're both abnormal freaks."

"We can't tell anyone else about this." Lucas suddenly broke out, biting his lip in anxiety. "If someone abuses this kind of power..."

Abruptly, Claus threw an arm around his twin's shoulders, looping him in a tight hug and making Lucas emit a squeak of surprise. Claus absolutely _loathed_ physical contact, and Lucas remembered all too well how his brother's face would scrunch up every time their mother kissed them good night on the forehead.

"Claus...?" Lucas whispered, blinking in confusion.

Closing his eyes, Claus shook his head. "Forget about it." The ginger's grip tightened, and agitated PSI crackled lightly at the soles of his bare feet. "I swear, if you ever hurt yourself because of some stupid, self-sacrificing junk, I'm going to send your baby pictures to Ness."

At the devilish grin now gracing Claus's face, Lucas blanched in horror. "You _wouldn't_!"

"Yeah, I would. And I also have _connections."_ Claus poked him in the arm. "In case you've forgotten, Ninten's also in the yearbook club, so I'll make sure he prints them in the school yearbook. _For the next_ _three years._"

"CLAUS!" Lucas yelped, pushing Claus away in deep exasperation. "Listen, I'm _fine_. You keep acting like I'm going to pull a dangerous stunt on _purpose!"_

However, Claus looked far from amused. "I'm _dead_ serious, Lucas. Promise you won't do anything stupid like that again."

"But-"

"_Promise me."_

Softening at his brother's concern, Lucas grasped his palm, squeezing it once in reassurance. "...I promise."

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~oO0Oo~

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The Midnight air was icy-cold.

Slumber had long since enshrouded the city in its arms, but Pokey clambered out of bed, piling the sheets quietly to the side. Poking his head out of his bedroom, he stealthily peeked around, careful to check that both his parents and younger brother were out for the count. Blast Picky; his younger brother was already annoying to begin with; but now, he was getting _too_ nosy, asking Pokey questions in that stupid worried expression of his.

For a stark moment, Pokey hesitated, gaining second thoughts; he silently entertained himself with rebellious ideas, wanting to pretend that everything was all right, imagining himself shutting off the darn laptop and heading right back to sleep.

Then Pokey remembered why he _couldn't_.

With a groan, Pokey fumbled for his headphones, muttering complaints under his breath as he wired them to the computer. Popping up into his chair, he turned the electronic device on with the harsh click of a button. At once, the electronic device hummed to life with a sharp crackle, washing the walls with eerie fluorescent light.

"Come on," Pokey mumbled, anxiously flickering his gaze sideways from time to time. But he didn't have to wait long before the dreaded face materialized on the screen with a snap of electricity.

"Greetings, _slave."_

That voice never failed to send shivers down his spine. Pokey gulped audibly, but shook silently in a mixture of anger and fear.

His other correspondent seemed to notice his bout of hesitation. "What's the matter, little one?" the voice whispered mockingly. "Cat got your tongue?"

"You lied to me!" the chubby boy clamored under his breath, curling up his fists in indignant rage.

"One lies about many things, little one."

"I...I trusted you...!"

"Are you still harping on me about the car accident?" A long-suffering sigh, and the harsh noise grated against his ears. "I don't understand why you're so upset. This was your idea to begin with."

"But _that_ wasn't part of the deal!" Pokey shouted, before trying to control himself. He breathed in deeply as violent tremors racked his body. "Y-You promised you were going to get rid of them, but not like this! NOT LIKE THIS!"

The deep, guttural growl curdled his blood and sent shivers racking Pokey's spine. "I simply cannot understand. You hated the twins, so I did you a favor. If I killed one, then it certainly would've put a dent in the other, and _that_ would've freed you up to snatch back your best friend. You got what you wanted; why do you continue to pester me so?"

"I hated them, but I-I never wanted to kill anybody!" Pokey cried, terrified. "I thought you were just going to let me rough them up a little!"

"Quiet!" the voice hissed. "Needless to say, the twins are alive, so nothing has been changed. Are you satisfied now?" Pokey felt his neck prickle uncomfortably as he felt the ominous stare fixate on him. "Whether you liked it or not, I have fulfilled end of the bargain. You have yet to do yours."

"I already did! I found you that girl, remember?"

"While the girl is useful, she is not whom I seek." A pause, and hungry blue eyes pierced through the screen. "The school has more people who can use PSI...and you are hiding something from me."

"No, I'm not!"

"Yes, you are." An unamused glance probed Pokey's fearful expression. "I have eyes everywhere, little one. _Everywhere_, except inside the school. I cannot scourge around for PSI users inside during broad daylight. _This_ is where _you_ come in."

"I swear, I'm not hiding anything!"

A cold silence filled his ears. The silhouette paused, blotting the screen black. "You are _not_ hiding anything...?" it whispered softly, dripping with malicious intent. "I certainly hope so."

Wobbling in fear, Pokey nodded, clamping his jaw shut.

"Very well. Then let us not continue this pointless blabbering. But child...if I ever _do_ find out that you have lied to me..." Ominous eyes skewered him from computer screen. "...you know _exactly_ who I'll target next."

In response to the ominous threat, the boy clenched his fists.

His monitor screen started to crackle and fizzle into static. "Sweet dreams, Pokey."

On that pleasant note, the computer screen blinked black.

Breathing hard, Pokey tried to move, but only ended up sitting motionlessly in the hard wooden chair. Tears welling his eyes, he hugged himself tightly, silently sobbing in helpless despair. The heavy night air suppressed his sounds of anguish until dawn.

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~oO0Oo~

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It was the regular morning gruel. Dress up, eat toast, then run like heck out the front door. Cramming the last piece of wheat bread into his mouth, Ness frantically checked his watch out of the corner of his eye. He almost choked in alarm; where did all the time go?

"Trmmmmssie, hubby ub!"

"WHAAAT?!" his sister yelled from upstairs. "I CAN'T HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING!"

With difficulty, Ness hastily gulped down the mouthful of food. "HURRY UP! WE NEED TO CATCH THE FRIGGIN' BUS!" he shouted back, albeit so loudly that even fat, lazy King had perked up his ears. The dog sleepily raised his head to stare at him in utter disapproval. Without skipping a beat, Ness tipped his hat in apology.

_Sorry, King._

_All forgiven,_ King yawned, lazily stretching out its limbs, then scratching at an itch with a hind leg.

"Ness!" his mother rebuked on cue, poking her head from the kitchen. "You know better than to shout like that in the morning!"

"My bad."

To be honest, Ness thought that little siblings had it easy. Whenever something went wrong, *POOF* Big Brother was immediately at fault for "not being responsible enough" or "not acting as a good role model." He rolled his eyes, clamping back any complaints about his younger sister.

Then again, he really should know better than to shout like an obnoxious foghorn at six in the morning.

Ness let out an exasperated groan. "I'm not kidding, Tracy! Hurry uuuuuuuuuup-"

"Coming!"

Tiny feet pounded down the stairs, and his younger sister emerged, hair disheveled and pink backpack dancing on her back. "Augh, Ness, you're so bossy!" Tracy whined, ruefully poking his shoulder. "Do you talk to your _teachers_ like that?"

Feeling like he was forgetting something, Ness rolled his eyes, then turned to head out the door-

"Don't forget your packed lunches!"

Right.

Doubling back, Ness looped around the kitchen. "Thanks, mom! See you after school!"

Swiping their bento boxes from the counter, Ness impatiently sprinted onto the sidewalk. Tracy materialized next to him a few seconds later, panting for breath."Hey, hey! What's the rush? Besides, we normally leave like 30 minutes later!"

Her older brother kept a straight face. "I don't want to miss the bus."

"If you wanna chat with your friends, you can wait 'til lunch, Ness." Tracy rolled her eyes, smacking him playfully. "I can't believe I'm stuck with _you_ today because mom can't drive me to school."

"Lucas is returning to school today!" Ness objected. "I want to make sure he's fine!"

"And this has _nothing_ to do with checking on your girlfriend along the way."

Ness's face flushed. "Paula's not my girlfriend!"

"Sure, she's not."

"No, I'm serious! We're just good friends, Tracy!" Ness protested indignantly. "And I'm really worried; she hasn't come to class for five days since last Monday. I mean, I was kinda worried about Claus breaking down to ask her mom, but isn't it odd that she's missed school for a full_ week_?"

Tracy bit her lip, her smirk now transforming into an anxious pout of worry. "You're right. Paula totally freaks out whenever she misses like, one day of school." They walked across the street into the next neighborhood, and Tracy hurried her pace to catch up to her brother's hefty strides. "I hope she's okay..."

"It can't hurt to check on her before I drop you off at your bus stop," Ness finished firmly.

Tracy sighed, knowing a losing argument when she saw one. "I guess not." Instead, she frowned grumpily and crossed her arms. "But don't start serenading her or do anything mushy in front of my face, all right?"

"Tracy!"

"What? I'm just joking-"

"Shhh!" Ness hissed, shoving her into the nearest bush. "Get down!"

"Ow! What was that for?!" Tracy whispered in irritation as they crouched behind the foliage. "Sensitive much? I mean, geez, I know guys get nervous talking to girls they like, but honestly, this is just getting ridiculous-"

Ness placed a finger to his lips, then pointed at the house right in front of them. There were two people standing in the driveway. From where they were crouching, Tracy caught snatches of a hysterical conversation.

"-discovered no traces of her. Are you sure you she hasn't contacted you by phone?"

"No!" The anguished, high-pitched voice cut into the air. "Paula's a good girl! S-She wouldn't simply vanish like this without telling us!"

"M'am, we will do our best to find her."

"My p-poor girl..." Paula's mother sobbed, dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief. "A-All alone and missing for f-five days...I'm such a horrible parent, I should've phoned her as soon as she finished school to make sure she got home safely..."

The policeman placed a consoling hand on the distraught mother's shoulder. "Don't blame yourself. If anything, you did the right thing to contact us as soon as possible." He adjusted the hat on his head and gave a curt nod. "Don't lose hope, ma'am. You never know; she simply might return home on her own two feet. But until then, we will continue searching." With a last respectable nod and a tip of the hat, the man strolled out of sight. Staring at the sidewalk with a heartbroken gaze, Paula's mother finally trudged back and mournfully shut the door.

"Paula's _missing_?" Ness whispered, dumbstruck. He abruptly stood up, brushing the leaves from his shirt, and a hard edge entered his suddenly sharp voice. "Something's wrong, Tracy. You can't deny that."

Tracy's eyes widened. "Do you think someone might've...snatched her off the street?"

Ness tensed, squeezing his fists so tightly that they turned pale. "You know that Paula wouldn't have gone down without a fight."

"That's what makes me worried," Tracy muttered. She looked up at him with wide eyes. "She's got these psychic abilities like you do..."

"Exactly," Ness said grimly. He suddenly stopped when something dark caught his eye in the very corner of his vision. Whatever it was, it was stuck in the brambles of the rose bush around them. Warily, Ness squinted, leaning in closer, but in the shadows of the leaves, couldn't make the object out.

Wildly glancing around once, Ness quickly snapped his fingers.

"PK Flash Alpha," he whispered. A controlled ball of light floated from his fingers, illuminating the object in question.

"Ness," Tracy hissed in fear. "I don't think that's a good idea..."

But her brother paid her warning no attention. With utmost care, Ness gingerly extricated a red ripped fabric from the sharp thorns. The faded piece of cloth looked strangely familiar...

A second later, horror struck him, and he almost dropped the torn ribbon onto the ground. "T-This is Paula's!" he stammered. "But then-?"

"NESS!" his younger sister shrieked, yanking him down. Not a second too soon. Something sharp grazed Ness's cheek, forcing him flinch violently at the cold steel. His hands flew to his face; sticky blood oozed out from the shallow cut, dying his finger crimson.

"What the-?"

An ominous beeping sound erupted behind them. Immediately, he stuffed the ribbon into his pocket, and without another thought, Ness seized his sister's hand, dragging them deeper into the foliage. Tracy yelped at the sudden speed, but didn't stumble, barely managing to keep pace. Trees hurtled past them; branches clawed at their faces.

Something loudly thunked onto the muddy ground by their feet. Instantly, Ness screeched to a halt, protectively sweeping an arm in front of his sister just as several strange men appeared. Their skin glinted an odd sheen of silver, and their mechanical movements seemed eerily stiff...

"PSI detected 20 meters from current location," came the drone.

Glancing around, Ness inwardly cursed. Seven of them had appeared, surrounding the pair on all sides. Running away was not an option, and there were too many trees for Ness to attempt PK Teleport Alpha.

Wide-eyed, Tracy instinctively stepped back, shakily clutching his arm like a lifeline. "Ness, what are these things...?"

"Tracy, stay behind me, okay?" Ness ordered, silently eyeing his foes. Grimly, the teen drew out his baseball bat, which he had thankfully packed in his bag for in-school practice. "I don't know what they want, but it can't be good."

The biggest robot lurched forward like a zombie, and Ness tensed as it invaded his space. It was close enough that Ness was able to read a label, _Starman_, delicately encarved into the metallic torso.

"Source of PSI identified. Target will be taken alive."

In response, Ness unsteadily swung his bat in front of his face. His hands shook rapidly. "S-Stay away from me."

"Target is not submissive. Force will be-" Ness immediately smashed the baseball bat into a Starman, crumpling its torso in. "U-u-use-d..."

Without second thought, Ness instinctively jabbed the wooden weapon into the "face" of a second and swung it down, creaming the Starman in the side. Unable to handle so much force, the bat protested, splintering into two to his dismay. As the wrecked Starman fell, another cast its PK beam at him, which Ness narrowly absorbed with a PK Shield. He grimaced as the force of the beam dragged his feet backwards into the dirt, bruising his ankles.

Losing any doubt of holding back, Ness let his power explode.

"PK Rockin' Gamma!" he yelled, shooting out his palm. Three of the remaining Starmen vibrated violently before sheer psychic power tore them into smithereens. At the sudden drop in stamina, nausea suddenly slammed into Ness and he doubled over, dry-heaving. _I haven't used my PSI in a while..._

"AUGH! Let go of me, you monsters!"

Ness whirled around to see his sister struggling in the iron grasp of sixth Starman.

"Tracy!" Desperately, Ness concentrated his power into his finger. "PK FLASH ALPHA!"

The Starman, now paralyzed, fell to its feet, releasing its hold on his sister. Tracy wasted no time, picking up a sharp rock and bashing the the Starman's circuits in. On her fifth try, the sharp edge punched a hole through a weak chink in the unyielding metal, and with a hiss of smoke, the robot pooled onto the dirt in a mix of nuts and bolts.

"T-Thanks," Tracy gasped, panting for breath.

"No problem."

But by turning around, Ness had left his guard wide open, leaving the teen vulnerable to the last Starman's assault. Suddenly, an excruciating pain stabbed his side, and Ness screamed, writhing violently as one of his ribs gave way with a sickening _crack_.

"Oh no, you don't!" Tracy yelled, hitting the Starman with a wayward branch. She effectively grabbed its attention, and the murderous machine swung its expressionless face towards her. Hastily scrambling backwards, Tracy squeaked as she tripped over her own feet, and stared in transfixed horror as it prepared to blast her to oblivion.

Spitting out blood, Ness painfully wrenched himself up to his knees. This had gone too far.

"PK ROCKIN' BETA!" he roared, yanking a fist down from the heavens.

The disorienting attack was weaker than the first, but it was enough to dismantle the last opponent. Electricity buzzing through the cut wires, the metal man groaned, buckling onto its knees.

"Y-you will no-t es-cape..." With a final groan, the machine shut down, its crimson eyes dimming to a dull black.

Ness fell to his hands, sweat pouring down his dust-patted hair. He gritted his teeth through cracked lips, gasping as the throb of his broken ribs mercilessly stabbed his side.

"Ness!" Tracy cried out, kneeling by his fallen form in alarm. Her figure swam in his unsettling vision. "...Are you okay?"

Trying to ignore the pain with a grunt, Ness focused his energy from his palm onto his chest. "PK Healing Beta."

Immediately, a cool, refreshing pulse washed through his weary body and soothed his troubled mind. Ness relaxed his tense muscles with a relieved sigh, rolling his shoulders to relieve the kink in his neck.

"Ness?! Answer me, Ness!" Tracy was beginning to sink into the verge of hysteria. "NESS!"

"Tracy, calm down. I'm okay," Ness reassured her, shakily clambering upright with wobbly knees.

Watching him limp over, Tracy eyed each motion in rapt attention. "Are you...Are you really okay?" she whispered hoarsely, staring at his blood-caked fingers. "Maybe we should call mom-"

"NO." Ness glared at her. "It's a secret, remember? Mom can't know that I'm psychic!"

"You broke your ribs!"

"If mom knows, she might get hurt too, Tracy."

"But-"

"Do you want mom to _die?!"_ Ness demanded hoarsely, fixing her with such an intense look of pain that his sister involuntarily stepped backwards. "Is that what you really want?"

Tracy turned unusually quiet. "Then what about dad?"

Scrunching his eyes, Ness shook his head. "Not him too. It's already bad enough that you found out last year."

One second later, Ness somehow found himself sprawled onto the dirt as Tracy suddenly caught him in a flying tackle. Bewildered, Ness blinked, feeling small arms wrap around his waist in a searing death-grip. Craning his neck over her head, Ness was alarmed to see that Tracy was shivering violently, clutching his body in broken sobs. With a weak smile, Ness raised his hand, hesitantly lowering it down onto her trembling hair. "Tracy-"

"I was so scared," Tracy choked, clutching his shirt with long fingernails. "I thought they...you..."

"It's okay," Ness said softly, pointing at his dirt-matted shirt. "I healed myself, see?"

Burying her face into the cloth, Tracy refused to let go. Shaking her head in a high-pitched whimper, she only clung onto his shirt tighter.

Ness's expression softened; his injury must have rattled her quite soundly. Carefully, Ness disentangled her iron grip from his shirt, then gently placed her hand against his side. "Feel that? My ribs are fine." Violet eyes looked up confidently into hers. "I'm really okay, Trace."

Afraid that her brother was possibly deceiving her, Tracy hesitantly probed his side, gingerly poking the once-fractured bone before she nodded, slowly withdrawing from him in dissipating worry. Tracy sniffled, rubbing at her teary eyes. Pulling out a handkerchief from his bag, Ness gently pulled her close, dabbing her face clean with the soft cloth.

Releasing a shaky snort, Tracy batted his hands away. "I'm not three, Ness. I can do it myself," she said in a rather muffled voice, raising her arms to wipe the last of her tears.

With a sigh, Ness stumbled to his feet, raking his legs against the dirt-sprawled twigs and pebbles. Exhaustion shook his limbs, but Ness managed to hold out a hand to his sister. "We need to get out of here. PK Teleport's never failed me before."

Tracy said nothing, but nodded silently. Curling her fingers tightly around his rough palm, she followed her brother into a wide-open clearing. Mustering the last of his intense concentration, Ness closed his eyes. In a sudden burst of ash, the two disappeared, leaving almost no trace of their existence.

But the first Starman lay on the ground buzzing weakly with its caved in chest. Unforgiving red eyes filmed the entire scene. "V-V-vide-o footage sent. Self d-d-destruct act-t-iva-ted..."

In a brief shower of silver sparks, all of seven Starmen disintegrated into the ground, leaving the forest as green and tranquil as before.

.

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~oO0Oo~

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"...Ness?"

The ebony-haired baseball captain blinked. "Huh?"

Claus was still indifferently chewing his omelet from across the lunch table, but Lucas had paused to gaze at him curiously. Ninten threw him a confused look.

"I was asking you when our next baseball practice is..." Ninten trailed off uncertainly at his old childhood friend. Ness looked completely drained, his skin an unhealthy pale. Even his smooth black hair seemed to lose its customary shine, opting for a dull, lackluster, dusty black.

"Oh. It's today, right after school," Ness mumbled. "But Fuel's taking over 'cause I'm not feeling well."

Ninten eyed his friend with an odd look. "Since when did _you_ skip baseball practice?"

"Since today."

"Haha, very funny." Ninten stared at him weirdly as if he had grown two heads. "Seriously, Ness, you've been completely out of it all day," he noted. "Like right now. You're trying to stab your steak with your spoon."

Ness looked down at his lunch box in surprise. "Wha...?" Hastily dropping his spoon, he grabbed his fork. At this point, even Claus had stopped in mid-chew to shoot him a suspicious glance.

"Ness, you're acting really weird. Well...weirder than usual," the redhead added, watching as Ness dropped his silverware for the second time that day.

The baseball captain wearily shook his head. "I'm just tired."

Claus's blue eyes filled with an stormy glare that baked Ness's insides with cold fire. "Do you think we're stupid, Ness? We know you're obviously not telling us something."

"I'm telling you, there's nothing wrong with me," Ness shot back defiantly. Not in the mood for food, he pushed his lunch away in poor taste. To his surprise, even mouthwatering steak couldn't seem to do the trick, instead leaving him both queasy and nauseous.

His three friends exchanged alarmed looks.

"Okay, something's _definitely _up," Ninten growled, clamping a hand on Ness's shoulder. "That's it, you're calling your mom-"

"Ninten," Ness hissed, violently shrugging him off. "This isn't fifth grade. I don't need to call my effing mom!"

A wicked smirk lazily found its way on Claus's lips. "Childish much?" he drawled.

Absolutely furious, Ness snapped his head up to argue, but luckily, a fourth voice neatly interrupted the "would be" argument.

"Ness," Lucas said softly, and Ness reluctantly swiveled around to face him. In contrast to his twin's, Lucas's blue eyes were as gentle as two pools of fresh spring water, quenching his frazzled nerves. "If you're not feeling well, it's not a problem. We can take you to the nurse."

Ness hesitated. For some reason, the shy twin seemed to crack open Ness's tough shell much more easily than Ninten's casual prodding, or even Claus's threatening scowl. Maybe it was because Lucas always seemed in sync with timing, knowing when to back off and knowing when to say the right things at the right moment.

But not today.

"I'm good, thanks," Ness replied, the hard lie gritting unpleasantly between his teeth. He forced down the guilt that rose up his throat when Lucas studied him with a clearly unconvinced look, but despite his obvious displeasure, the blond didn't pressure the baseball captain any further.

"Ness, what-" Claus was suddenly cut off when Lucas abruptly elbowed him hard. They stared at each other wordlessly for several seconds, then Claus looked down to continue eating his omelet with a disgruntled expression.

"Twin telepathy," Ninten whispered, rolling his eyes at Claus, who was now sulking silently. "I swear they can read each other's minds or something." He looked at Ness warily. "But are you _sure_ you'll be fine?"

"I'M. PERFECTLY. FINE."

Ninten snorted. "As fine as anyone who shows up with ash on their clothes and dried blood on their face. Did you murder a chimney on the way here?" The Podunk teen shook his head in utter bewilderment, but immediately dropped the subject when Ness shot him a murderous glare.

Rolling his eyes, said Oreo-lover dropped the subject. Glancing over his shoulder surreptitiously, Ninten frowned, then lowered his voice. "Hey. Pokey's been staring at you for the past minute."

Ness snapped his head up. To Ness's growing frustration, Pokey was indeed hovering awkwardly by their table. The chubby teen was staring at him with an uncertain look on his face.

"What do you want, Pokey?" Ness snapped testily. He was already tired of everyone asking him if he was okay, and had no patience with whatever trouble Pokey had been intending to stir. Out of the corner of his vision, he noticed how Ninten was watching them both with curious eyes. Nearby, Lucas and Claus tensed up uncomfortably.

Pokey hesitated. "Are...Are you okay?"

"...I guess so." Ironically, Ness looked startled, thrown off-guard by the unexpected question. He lent Pokey his full attention now, violet eyes alert and wide-awake. "Since when did _you_ start worrying about me?"

"No reason," Pokey mumbled. "You looked worn out. Can't I ask you a simple question anymore?" Throwing him a hurt look, Pokey sauntered off, leaving the entire lunch table to stew in stunned silence.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note:** **Hey guys!**

**Sorry for the delay. The past few weeks have been emotionally and mentally stressful for me. Along with my schoolwork starting to pace up, my boyfriend broke up with me over text on Valentine's Day. He gave no explanation, which was odd because we were like confidents to each other, someone I could trust. ****So anyways I guess you can call me that loser who got dumped on Valentine's Day.**

**I've gotten over it though. Life continues on whether or not something bad happens, and breaking down would only hurt me in the end. But my grades have been threatening to dip, so I've been busy with school work. It sounds ironic how this story is named "For The Power of Love," but just real world advice to all of you out there: If you ever happen to break up (it happens sometimes), DON'T BREAK UP OVER TEXT. I'm serious: this is probably the worst thing anyone (not just boys, I'm also looking at you too girls) can do. I know rejection might be awkward, and at the very least, painful, but at least be respectful to whomever you're dating and please spare the time to say it to their face.**

**To those of you not in a relationship yet, don't worry about it. You can laugh and scoff at my love-struck foolishness while it lasts. xD**

**Sorry for the long description of my personal life (haha I can hear all of you groaning about my long author's note), but this anecdote was something I wanted to share. Hopefully none of you will ever have to experience a similar misfortune.**

**Thank you so much for your support on this story. You don't know how much it means to me.**

**Insert appropriate disclaimer here.**

* * *

><p>Ninten had always joked that between the two of them, Ness would probably live longer because he never argued every day with a certain, red-haired demon. But now even Ninten was starting to show signs of worry. Ness had been acting strangely closed-off, so the Podunk boy had tried to make punny attempts at humor to distract him. Even patient, quiet Lucas had done his best to accommodate by not just listening, but even <em>talking<em> more to pull the baseball captain out of his shell. While the two boys failed to do both, Ness did seem to relax more in their company.

On the other hand, although Claus was easily more social than his twin, he was not very sensitive, and so would constantly point out irregularities in Ness's behavior. The tension between them was as tangible as a rapidly surging tsunami. A giant mother of all arguments seemed inevitable; however, while Ness had refused to open up about whatever was bothering him, Claus simply shrugged it off. So Ninten fervently hoped that the big blow out would never happen. Monday rolled into Tuesday and Wednesday without a hitch.

Then came Thursday.

The bell finally rang for lunch, signaling the end of Physics, yet Dr. Andonuts remained unfazed by the rustle of students and zipping bags. "-and that concludes our unit on circular motion. Remember to turn in your homework on pages 103-104, #1-55 odd, to class tomorrow."

With a collective groan, the students filed out of the classroom, leaving Dr. Andonuts to retreat into his office.

"Ugh, I'm _dying_ in this class," Ninten moaned before slumping off the seat. "Help me now."

"You say that about every class," Claus pointed out, nabbing his rucksack from his own desk. Ness and Lucas greeted them outside, having ended their last class in biology ten minutes earlier, then joined them down the crowded hallway.

Ninten continued to whine amidst the collective babble of other students. "But physics is hard!"

"That's cause you put hardly any effort into it."

"Easy for you and Ness to say, Mr. ILovePhysics," Ninten protested. The Podunk boy crossed his arms in a huff. "Besides, how the heck is a required E&M course supposed to help me become a lawyer?!"

"Well, what do you know? Some of us actually like to think with something called a_ brain_," Claus smirked.

"At least I have a 101.3% in creative writing." Ninten countered, smirking back. "What do _you_ have?"

Claus sulked noticeably. "That class is totally BS. Like red's just a color but _no, _it actually represents bloody love or whatever the fuck the author wants-"

"ENGLISH," Ninten emphasized hotly. "IS LIFE."

_"Okaaay, _lay it off, you guys. I think that's enough English-bashing for one day," Lucas intervened, laughing at Ninten's highly-offended expression. Claus forced Ninten in a headlock, making the latter whine.

"What the-OWW! Claussss!"

"Ness, what are you looking at?" Lucas curiously inquired, noticing how preoccupied the baseball captain seemed. Instantly, Ness broke out of his startled brooding.

"...Huh? Oh, it's nothing..."

_"Suuure,"_ Claus drawled sarcastically, rolling his eyes before releasing a gasping Ninten from a hardcore noogie session. "Ness, face it. You've been eyeing every door like some madman's gonna to plow through in a murderous frenzy."

Ness laughed in feeble bravado. "No, I haven't-"

"You know, you're a terrible liar. And I thought Lucas couldn't lie for his life..." In response, Ness visibly flushed. Claus squinted at him suspiciously, and to his credit, Ness didn't back down, shooting a challenging look back.

For once, Claus was bickering with someone else. Ninten winced, feeling sympathy for his oldest friend. A ticked off Claus was not a force to be trifled with. "I hate to agree with Claus, but you've been acting really oddly for the past week, dude," Ninten chimed in nervously, and Ness whipped around to stare at him. "Is something wrong?"

Ness stiffened, averting his eyes to punch in his locker combination. "I said, _nothing's wrong."_

"Cut the crap, Ness." Claus broke in. He leaned against the wall, arms crossed in a skeptical gaze. "Forget _odd;_ You've been acting really _paranoid_. Geez, it's like someone jumped you or something."

Ness visibly tensed up. Ninten said nothing, looking vastly uncomfortable with where this was heading.

Luckily, Lucas was sharp enough to catch the warning signs and immediately spoke up, trying to avert the crisis before it happened. "Oh, come on, guys; don't do this. Here, if we're going to talk, let's at least find a place to sit and-"

"No_."_ Claus narrowed his eyes dangerously. "We're gonna to talk _right now._"

_Claus! What are you doing?_

_Stay out of this, Lucas._

Ness slammed the locker with so much force that it rebounded off its hinges. His unsettling violet eyes seemed to almost glow dangerously. "Claus, leave me alone. It's nothing, okay?"

"Well, it certainly doesn't look like a whole lot of _nothing_." Claus gave a bitter laugh. "Ness, it's not healthy to keep things bottled up. Trust me; it'll only get worse."

"Like _you _did when Lucas was thrown into the bloody hospital," Ness snapped back like a cornered animal, and Ninten frowned. Ness wasn't someone who got riled up easily...

Utterly furious, Claus clenched his fists. _Oh, Hell no! He did not just go there-!_

_Calm down, Claus. Ness isn't acting himself, _his brother's voice whispered in his mind, trying to convince him. _I'm sure he didn't mean it._

To be honest, regardless of their close friendship, Claus had always felt slightly jealous of Ness. The baseball captain always seemed like the perfect supportive brother to Lucas, and often times, Claus sometimes felt replaced.

And now, that resentment blew up into full proportions. Slamming the mental walls down on his brother's voice, Claus fixed the baseball captain with his best batman-esque scowl that would have made even the manliest man cower and whimper for mommy. "Excuse me if this is _my brother_ we're talking about."

"Look, I was just as worried about Lucas as you were," Ness countered, then laughed darkly. "But at least I wasn't acting like a complete dick to my friends!"

Claus was speechless for words; in fact, the ginger looked utterly dumbstruck as if Ness had just slapped his face silly with a live fish. Catching sight of his harsh reaction, Ness's frustrated expression softened slightly although the stern look stayed. "Sorry, I went too far-"

"Oh, you _think?"_ Claus spat this time without any touch of humor, voice flat-out dripping with venomous scorn. Ness flinched at the suddenly poisonous glare fixated his way. "I swear, Ness, if you say that you're fine one more _fucking_ time, I'm gonna-"

"Claus. Leave him alone," Lucas finally cut off in a quiet, yet firm voice. "We understand how you feel, but pressuring Ness won't make things better." Ness shot Lucas a silent look of gratitude, but it was lost by Claus's incredulous stare.

"When he's ready?" Claus fixed his snarl on his brother, gripping his shoulders. "And when will _that_ be? Huh, Lucas?"

"Lay off him!" Ness snapped, shoving Claus away. "He's done nothing to you!"

"Don't tell me what to do! Lucas isn't an idiot; he knows that something's wrong! He's just too nice to say it!" Claus expectantly rounded on his brother. "Don't you, Lucas?"

"Look, Claus! I don't have to tell you everything I goddamn feel! Lucas, back me up here!" Ness threw his close friend a pleading look.

Lucas shrank away from their forceful stares, suddenly finding himself in a very uncomfortable position. "Guys, leave me out of this," Lucas tried weakly. "Let's work this out together-"

"If Ness stops being such a stubborn jackass and tells us what's actually going on, then we wouldn't have had this problem in the first place," Claus interrupted nastily. "TELL HIM, LUCAS!"

"Says the jackass himself," Ness countered, before turning to the blonde with a kinder gaze. "Come on, Lucas, it's okay to say that you don't agree with Claus. Besides," He eyed Claus with equal loathing. "_Someone's _got to tell him."

"I...I-I-" Lucas stammered.

Finally Ninten could stand no more. "Guys, this is seriously uncool," he interrupted, standing in front of Lucas and shoving both boys aside. "You're both acting like complete dickheads to all of us, not just each other." They set their glares onto him, but Ninten fiercely glowered back. "This spat is really childish. Like, what are we, three years old?"

Luckily, the bell rang for class just as both boys opened their mouths to retort. Without another word, they whirled around and marched off into opposite directions.

"Thanks," Lucas said quietly, and Ninten nodded silently as they left together for World History. Ninten's heart constricted painfully.

_What just happened?_

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~oO0Oo~

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.

Ever since, Ness seemed to have reverted back to his usual, social self. He would still ramble on about video games with a fiery passion enough to fill a 20 page report, and his academic performance seemed unaffected. On the baseball field, he was still their encouraging, good-natured captain, who sent out quirky orders and witty jokes on the fly.

But Ninten wasn't fooled. He had known Ness longer than either of the twins, and caught onto subtle warning signs. Ness had been pretty social before, but now his conversations sounded slightly forced. He also never started conversations anymore, tending to brood silently until someone else addressed him, at which he would immediately perk up and pull out his cheery facade.

If the twins had noticed anything irregular, they didn't say anything. Claus, while never originally the type to dig around in someone else's personal matters, had refused to acknowledge the gap Ness had left behind in their friendship dynamic. Lucas, albeit observant, was incredibly shy of possibly causing further confrontation between his two simmering friends. Furthermore, Ninten had also noticed that Lucas seemed to suffer from sudden bouts of weakness, but every time Ninten pointed it out, the blonde twin would only wave away his concern, claiming that he was feeling much better. But Ninten's worries were at least alleviated every time he saw Claus supporting his younger brother up the staircase.

"Did I wake up on the wrong side of the bed?" Ninten finally mused as he and Claus walked down the empty hallway. By the looks of it, Ness had already gone home for the day, and Lucas had left for choir rehearsal.

"I don't know, did you?" Claus smirked, the grin not quite reaching his eyes.

"Claus, I'm being serious here!" Ninten flailed his arms around wildly, anxiety creeping into his voice. "In all my years I've known Ness, he's never acted like _this!_"

Claus's face immediately turned sullen. "No kidding."

To be honest, Ninten was secretly surprised that Claus hadn't burst out into a furious snarl or heated rant. Quite the opposite really: a hint of worry briefly flashed through Claus's face before being covered up by an indifferent mask. So stunned was Ninten that he was _literally_ shaken out of his thoughts when Claus suddenly gripped his shoulders.

"Ninten, I need to ask you a favor." Impenetrable blue eyes scrutinized his face. "I want you to talk to Ness and find out what the hell's bugging him."

"What?" Ninten squeaked. The last time he had tried to give a pep talk, it resulted in the loss of his dignity and a _very_ angry red-head. Ninten didn't want to even _think_ about the horrifying image of a furious Ness yielding a baseball bat. Ninten winced. Scratch that - it was still the lesser of the two evils.

But still, it was majorly unfair. "Why do I have to talk to everyone?" the black-haired boy whined. "I'm not anyone's goddamn counselor~"

"You've known Ness longer than I do," Claus pointed out practically.

Ninten groaned. "Claus, it's not that easy. Boys can't just randomly go and share a "heart-to-heart" moment with each other."

The ginger rolled his eyes. "I'm not telling you to share sappy love stories, I just want to make sure that the prat's all right." Claus crossed his arms in annoyance. "Swear you'll talk to Ness, or else I'm convincing your mom not to buy Oreos for an entire _month_."

"Wh-what?" Ninten sputtered. "You can't do that!"

"Try me."

Ninten searched that smirking face for a smidget of mercy...and found none.

Darn it. Curse his love for Oreos.

"Okay, okay! I will!" Ninten huffed, turning away from Claus's still smirking face. "That was a low blow."

"Don't complain, you would've done it anyway," Claus still continued to grin in that infuriating way. Ninten muttered something that sounded suspiciously like "you sadist." But underneath the smirk, Ninten could tell that Claus was worried. _Really_ worried. Huh, whatdidjaknow. "Tell me when you find out what's bothering him."

"Why can't you ask him yourself?" Ninten shot back, still slightly miffed at the blackmail. Okay, maybe he realized that he was stretching his whining a little too long, but seriously,_ what the fuck?_

The red-haired twin's expression darkened considerably. "...He's avoiding me."

"Oh." Ninten fidgeted uncomfortably. There was no point in denying it when Claus said it so matter-of-factly. "Yeah, same." Ninten hesitated. "Has he been avoiding Lucas too?"

"No, but I don't think he's spoken much to him either." Claus responded without skipping a beat. He didn't have to imagine Lucas's hurt expression every time Ness brushed him off. In fact, what didn't stop Claus from marching over to Ness and punching the daylights out of him was the fact that the baseball captain was also helping Lucas re-adjust back to the school. It didn't make any sense at all.

Claus gripped his head. "Why is Ness acting so complicated?"

"Join the club," Ninten said in one of his rare sarcastic tones. He tilted his head, creasing his eyebrows in a frown. "Whatever's bothering him must be big if he's been acting like this since Monday. I mean, it's already been a full week and there's been no change in his behavior what-so-ever."

"Yeah," Claus said sourly. "I would've asked Lucas to talk to him, but I don't want to push it with his condition."

"What? I thought he was feeling better!" Ninten shouted, jumping back in alarm. Another catastrophe was the last thing they needed right now.

"Oh it's nothing serious," Claus reassured, sighing. "Lucas just gets physically exhausted quicker because the accident damaged his quadriceps. The doctor said that they'll heal once he gets used to walking again." Claus scowled, clearly unhappy. "I just wish he'd stop telling me he's fine when he's clearly not. Seriously, he's going to drive me _insane."_ But his normally icy eyes looked unnaturally soft, and suddenly the red-head laughed. "Last night, Dad and I had to _drag_ him to bed when he almost dunked his head into a bowl of soup last night. I still can't believe Lucas kept nodding off at the _dinner table_ of all places."

Ninten couldn't miss that wistful expression even if he tried. "...You must have really missed him a lot."

"I did." To his surprise, Claus didn't deny it. His voice softened. "To be honest...I still don't know what I would've done if he'd died that day." His throat sounded a little croaky, but Ninten pretended not to notice with a nod. Without his cynical expression, Claus could pass for a startling replica of his younger brother.

But they were twins after all.

"Well, you probably would've yelled a _lot,"_ Ninten joked, trying to uplift the morbid mood. His face quickly changed to that of utter terror. "Seriously, I thought you were going to _bite off_ my head in school that morning."

Claus at least had the gall to look guilty. "Oh, right. Sorry, Ninten, I wasn't thinking-"

"Dude, chillax," Ninten laughed. "I've already forgiven you."

However, his lighthearted response seemed to bother Claus. The stoic twin looked uncharacteristically uncomfortable.

"...But I was kind of acting like an asshole to all of you," Claus finally admitted. Ninten looked surprised, but Claus only stared back at him with a challenging expression on his face.

Underneath that mask of indifference, conflicted emotions escaped and flickered though his eyes. Claus knew that both Ninten and Ness had been extremely patient with him for the past few weeks during Lucas's absence. Now that the baseball captain was avoiding him like the plague, Ninten was the only close friend he really had left besides his brother. Even if the Oreo-lover could get pretty annoying as heck sometimes, Claus would hate to lose him too.

_I've taken Ninten for granted, _Claus realized.

Suddenly a flicker of movement abruptly caught his eye, and Claus immediately swiveled around in time to spot Ninten grinning.

"...What are _you_ looking at?" Claus muttered grumpily. He realized that his emotions must have shown on his face, and immediately scowled sourly. But it didn't long for his cheeks to start burning, and from the way Ninten's smirk was also growing, he could tell that his entire face was probably flushed the same tomato color as his hair.

_Goddamnit._

But Ninten only gave an all-too-knowing smile. "You're welcome, Claus."

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~oO0Oo~

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.

"Hey." Claus walked over to the backyard, where Lucas was sitting in the thick boughs of the apple tree. He didn't need their telepathic connection to know that his brother was clearly upset. Boney sat underneath in the shade, wagging his tail happily at his approach. Claus strode over and scratched the dog, who immediately responded with a loud whine.

Lucas conjured a PK Love. The beautiful blue hexagons shimmered in the air before fading away. "Hey," he responded quietly.

For some annoying reason, Claus was still having trouble with PK Love. Whenever he tried it out, it either exploded uncontrollably in his face, or failed to work at all. Lucas kept trying to help him out, but Claus showed no signs of progress much to the ginger's own frustration.

"Look, I'm sorry for being a jerk to you last week," Claus admitted grumpily. He thrust his hands in his pockets awkwardly. "You know I'm really bad with expressing my emotions...I'm just really worried about Ness, you know?"

"For the last time, it's okay, Claus. I figured you wouldn't have acted that way if you didn't care." Lucas admitted softly.

He shifted over so that Claus could sit side-by-side on the branch. For a quiet moment, they leaned against each other in contentment, their emotions, hearts, and minds intermingling in peaceful harmony. They balanced each other out, yin and yang, and surprisingly realized how much they had missed the other's presence. Lucas hummed in contentment, and Claus felt his shoulder vibrate with the sound.

The telepathic communication only seemed to strengthen their bond. Claus invigorated Lucas's uncertainty with confident excitement and in turn felt a soothing wave of calm temper his fluctuating frustration. Together, they were complete.

Then Lucas broke the peace with a small frown. "I'm worried too. I want to help Ness out, but at the same time I don't want to use our telepathic powers to intrude his mind."

Claus grunted in affirmation. "We can sense each other's minds when we "speak" anyways, so I'm pretty sure Ness would notice something was off if we tried." He shifted his gaze. "Besides, I don't think I'm ready to try this on anyone else but ourselves...yet." He winced. "I don't think I'm ready to hear Ninten rave about Oreos 24-7."

With a rustle of leaves, Claus plucked an apple from the tree. After offering one to his twin, who shook his head to decline, Claus shrugged and took a bite. The crunchy fruit was sweet with a slightly sour tang. "Well, I made him promise to corner Ness at some point. If he figures anything out, Ninten said he'll tell me."

"He's a good friend," Lucas spoke, then hesitated. "Several days ago, Ness told me that Ninten had detention with Professor Giygas."

Claus involuntarily spat out a mouthful of apple. "...What?! That...That Oreo lovin' prat!" He wiped his mouth on his sleeve despite Lucas's protests. Ah, his brother, ever the neat-freak. "What for?"

"He was standing up for our absence in class."

"...Why doesn't this surprise me?" Claus grumbled, tossing the apple core onto the ground. Seriously, he was going to slap that Podunk boy upside the head for that stunt. "That kid's going to be the death of me..."

"You sound just like dad." Lucas suddenly laughed, and Claus shoved him playfully by the shoulders.

"Goody two-shoes."

"Troublemaker," Lucas countered, making a face before jumping down from the apple tree. He staggered onto the ground before dusting the dirt from his blue denim shorts. Even the shortest of physical activities seemed to leave him reeling for breath, but Lucas pretended not to notice the worried frown Claus threw at him. "Do you want to compare answers for our physics homework? I don't know if I got question number 35 correct."

Claus groaned. "Now you bring up homework."

"Oh, come on, Claus!" Lucas tugged at his legs desperately. "You never know when dad might need our help on the field later!"

"Whatever."

"Whatever yourself," his brother responded cheekily. Claus rolled his eyes, but jumped down from the branch without question. He wanted to slap Ninten silly for doing something so stupid...but the ginger couldn't deny the silent gratitude welling up inside his chest. Realizing that Lucas was still watching him closely in concern, he seized the blond into a headlock.

"Stoppit, Claus!" It didn't take long for his brother's whining protests to quickly transform into laughter, and Claus grinned, feeling genuinely happy for the first time that week.

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~oO0Oo~

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"...Stupid Calculus homework..." Ninten grumbled. After his friends had left for the baseball field right after school, Ninten reluctantly trudged down to his destination to turn in the last of the extra homework Giygas had assigned during detention a few weeks ago. At least it was finally Friday; thank the gods, Ninten was fervently grateful to see the end of this week. There had been too much drama, too much tension. Hopefully things cooled off over the weekend.

Ninten walked painfully slowly. If he arrived late enough, he wouldn't have to see Giyga's cold eyes before stuffing the homework in the manila assignment folder taped to the classroom door. But then again, the more time he wasted, the more time he would lose from baseball practice...

_Decisions, decisions..._

But despite the fact he was literally _inching_ toward the door with small, snail steps, Ninten found himself standing right outside the classroom. He could tell from muffled voices that someone was there, and his stomach flip-flopped. Hopefully no one would notice that he was standing here...

"YOU LIED TO ME!"

Ninten froze, catching his breath. He felt guilty for eavesdropping, but curiosity overwhelmed him, and he carefully lay an ear against the wooden door.

"I was stupid to listen to you! Too stupid to realize that you were using me...," the voice cried out, slightly muffled through the thick wooden door. Oddly enough, it sounded vaguely familiar...

A second, deeper voice resounded airily. "It took you this long?"

"I give up! I'm _quitting!"_

Sounds of stomping reverberated louder. But before Ninten could scoot away, the second voice rang out.

"You never told me that Ness could use PSI."

A sharp intake of breath, and determined footsteps shuffled to an abrupt stop. "What...What are you talking about?"

"You know exactly what I'm talking about, little one."

There was complete silence. "You wouldn't." The voice was shaking.

The unknown figure shrugged. "But what does it matter? You decided to call off the deal, so I guess I have no other lead. I suppose I'll just have to-"

"No. You can't. NOT NESS!"

There was a low rustling of papers before the second muffled voice spoke. Ninten strained his ears; he could barely make out the conversation at all. "...Last week, I sensed a sudden shift of PSI in the air...I can almost smell it. This person is the one I've wanted for _years."_ The dangerous voice darkened. "Identify this source for me. You have _one_ week, or else Ness might not be so lucky to escape a second time."

Ninten had heard enough. He probably would have blasted the door apart if there had not been loud footsteps pounding alarming close to the door. Out of sheer instinct, the boy dived out of the way, rolling against the floor to crouch amidst the shadows.

Not a moment too soon. A student emerged, his face a pasty color of fright, but disappeared out of sight before Ninten could recover from his hasty retreat. The lights dimmed, and another unidentifiable figure crept out of the room. The ominous person paused, and Ninten swore he felt someone's gaze land directly on his hiding place. But even as his neck began to prickle uncomfortably, the mysterious man was already gone.

Slowly, Ninten stood up in a daze, stewing in a muddled jumble of confused thoughts. _Wait, PSI...? Does Ness have psychokinetic powers? _Ninten shook his head in bewilderment. After all these years, he clearly did not know Ness as well as he had thought.

Whoever this strange figure was, Ninten had no doubt that he was a THREAT. _This man is hunting down PSI users in the school...and he's searching for someone. Someone powerful. A student like us. _Horrified, and chill slithered down his spine, and Ninten gasped, resisting the urge to throw up at the unpleasant thought.

But there was something else that unsettled him...something about the unknown man who had just left the room.

Immediately, the Podunk boy leaped to his feet, desperately sprinting off to the baseball field. Ignoring his screaming muscles and painfully-wheezing lungs, Ninten ran, feeling every jarring step pound on the marble floor. His panicked mind was already kicked into overdrive, focusing solely on one thought, and one thought alone:

_I have to find Ness._

Because there was no doubt that the mysterious man had been Professor Giygas.


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: Hey guys! **

**...Wow. I have to admit I'm a little stunned at the attention this story received after chapter 7. Now I actually have to write something meaningful! *Starts freaking out* **

**Sorry if this chapter seems a little Ninten-centric, but we should get more POVs. ****Also to reassure you: I'm never giving up on this story. I already have the plot and future chapters finished; organizing them is what takes time.**

**From now on, I'll try to address all reviews in person. It's about time I got around to writing back to y'all, but that doesn't mean I haven't read them though! If you wrote to me multiple times, I just squashed my responses together into one chunk (this makes me feel as if I'm a pen pal...). Here they are in chronological order (assuming that the Guest reviews came from different people):**

**Guest1: I know you probably might not see this, but thanks for your kind words! :)**

**SilverClaus: Oh, yes, I absolutely LOVE writing the tension between Ninten and Claus. Their bickering is so fun to write about! I had two friends like that in middle school, and their dialogue is kind of similar. xD And thank you! First this story was supposed to be more lighthearted and realistic, but then I was like "but PSI..." so I completely scrapped the first plot idea and remade another one (which I actually like better). But yes, I agree; compared to the third chapter, the first two chapters do seem a little shallow to me (oops). Thanks for pointing that out; I'll start modifying them a little. :)**

**Guest2: Here's the next update! :D**

**Starryskys102: Thanks! I hope this story meets your expectations! :)**

**JustMeHi: I really appreciate your support. :) Your eagerness rings out in each review, and it makes me smile every time. And yes, Mother fans ftw! Don't worry; I won't leave you hanging...maybe...[inserts cliffhangers in future chapters]. And yes, I love writing about Ninten too (he's unintentionally the comic relief most of the time).**

**FalconerET: Thank you so much for your praise. You flatter me; I have many friends who write way better than I do. Besides, what would I know about English; I'm just a science major! I just write for the heck of it! :D**

**IHJTMQ: I'm glad that you find this story awesome! I'm just hoping it continues to be not awful haha xD**

**Vayo: Thank you. :) It makes me happy when someone likes my work.**

**BlueRetroPenguin:** ...**This story makes you happy as well? *Starts running around and throws mini-party* Hooray I have made another person happy as a writer!**

**E.E.:**** Thank you for your heartfelt concern. :) Don't worry; I'm not letting something like failed romance drag me down! I'm a tough nut to crack, haha! Hmm...I have to say though, you have some very interesting predictions...But I'm not going to reveal anything! ;D It'll all come together in due time...Enjoy the thrill of the ride! **

**Guest3: Oooh, you have popcorn? I love buttered popcorn *Takes out popcorn from the microwave* (Sorry this is so random haha)**

**OXYD:**** I've never played Earthbound, but I've watched the walkthroughs on Youtube. xD I find it interesting that you mentioned Poo and Jeff...BECAUSE THEY DO MAKE AN APPEARANCE IN THIS CHAPTER (How did you guess?). And thanks for your consideration; but don't worry, I'm feeling a whole lot better now :) It'll take more than that to stop me!**

**Aloofkokiri: Don't worry, I will. :)**

**And that's that! Hats off for your patience (I bet a lot of you were like "Forget this" and went straight to the story haha), but seriously, your support is amazing. **

**Thank you.**

**[Insert appropriate disclaimer]**

* * *

><p><em>Thud! Thud! Thud!<em>

With each thud of his footsteps, Ninten felt his heart pound wildly. His feet flew at a speed that would make cheetahs jealous; yet each second seemed like a minute, every minute an hour. He couldn't help but fear the worst, and dreadful thoughts flashed through his head.

_What if Ness is in danger?_

_Nah...he can't be...he's at baseball practice! There's no way someone would attack him in front of all those people! That's just ridiculous!_

_But what if he never reached the baseball field in the first place?_

Images of Ness injured and lying on the ground swam in his focus, and desperation fueled his speedy approach. Much his relief, he caught sight of the tell-tale bleachers and lush green grass of the baseball field, and completed the last few steps into the stadium.

"NESS!" He all but shrieked out, flailing his arms wildly. The entire baseball team stared boggled-eyed at Ninten's dramatic entrance. To be honest, Ninten didn't blame them; he probably looked like a horrible, gross, sweaty mess, but his appearance was the last thing on his mind.

To his relief, Ness looked completely okay; the oblivious baseball captain stood at home base, shooting out pieces of advice. "That's the ticket, Loid! I want to see you dive and catch that ball like it's a trash can!"

"NESS!" Ninten gasped out again, surprised that his vocal chords still worked after all this harsh running.

Luckily, the baseball captain seemed to have heard him this time. Ness's eyes flickered around in alarm before he caught sight of a thoroughly dead-beat Ninten. He smirked. "Glad to know that you're still in shape for running, 'Ten. Go guard second base, I'll be with you in a mo."

Ninten hesitated, but knew that he was in no condition to argue. Besides, he was starting to attract more unwanted attention from his teammates, who were now eyeing him weirdly. So Ninten grudgingly snatched his baseball glove from the stands and stalked over to his position in the field, all the while feeling a queasy feeling in his stomach.

***THWACK!***

"Nice curveball there, Poo!" Ness called out, wiping the sweat from his eyes. He re-adjusted his bat. "You might want to aim a little lower though. We don't want to decapitate anyone this early in the game."

"...We decapitate players?" A horror-stricken look sprouted on Poo's face.

"Only after breakfast," Ninten couldn't help but blurt out loudly with a straight face, before involuntarily snorting with laughter. Ness rolled his eyes.

"Ignore him, Poo. I was just kidding."

"Oh." The Dalaam martial arts expert looked extremely relieved. Not that Ninten understood; the Podunk boy would still run away screaming if Poo wielded as much as a blade of grass.

"10 MINUTE BREAK!" The coach suddenly yelled to Ninten's relief, hauling up a cooler of water bottles and chips onto the bleachers. Immediately the students dropped their equipment onto the ground, and gratefully rushed over to the stands.

Ness slapped a hand on Poo's back. "Your pitching's really improved! For someone who's never played baseball until the beginning of this year, you really have talent, Poo!"

"Thank you, Captain." Poo bowed respectfully. "I will continue to work on my progress."

"You do that." Ness grinned. As Poo sauntered off, Ninten sidled over.

"Hello, Captain."

Ness rolled his eyes. "Ninten, stop trying to confuse Poo. You know he's not used to the customs here."

"Yes, of course, Captain." Ninten spoke in an extravagantly posh British accent, sniggering as he fiddled with his imaginary monocle. "Would you like me to bow to you as well, Captain? Oh, Captain, I would love to show you my utmost respe-"

"Shut it, 'Ten."

Ninten couldn't help but cackle with laughter despite bottling up his worry, and Ness rolled his eyes again before plastering a silly grin onto his face. "I can't believe I have to deal with you for the next four years of my life." He tossed him a water bottle, and Ninten caught it swiftly with a hand.

"Thanks."

"Anytime."

Ninten chugged the drink down. In the blistering heat, the refreshing, ice-cold liquid was immensely satisfying as it ran down his achingly dry throat. Taking slower sips of water, the two close friends watched the rest of the team mingle together. From here, Ninten could spot Claus's fiery-red hair in the crowd as he talked with Loid. Fuel was engaging the coach for further tips, and Lucas seemed to be shyly answering Poo's questions in the bleachers. Everyone was preoccupied with one thing or another.

It gave the perfect opportunity to carry out a conversation unnoticed.

"Ness?"

"Yeah? What's wrong?" Ness caught the urgency in Ninten's voice, and frowned. A thin sheen of moisture dripped from his eyebrows as he held the cool, refreshing water bottle sweating in his hand. "Are you worried about our game next Saturday? The Sharks are a tough team but don't worry, your asthma shouldn't hinder-"

"I'm not talking about baseball, Ness." Ninten dropped his facade, and lowered his voice. "We need to talk."

Ness's face visibly closed off. "Look, I'm sorry that I argued with Claus, okay? But if you're going to ask me again about what happened last week, then drop it."

However, Ninten only met his unrelenting gaze firmly. Then he quietly raised his right hand forward before snapping his fingers. "PK Powershield."

Ness froze as a tiny purple, holographic shield expanded on Ninten's palm. Ninten might've laughed at his friend's dumbstruck face if the situation had not been so serious.

"...You too?"

"Yeah, me too."

First shock, then horror flashed through Ness's face. "Ninten! What the hell are you doing?" Ness hissed in fear, immediately leaping to his feet and flitting his gaze around. "Stop that before someone sees you!" But he didn't have to worry; Ninten had already banished his shield, and no one seemed to have noticed their little display of magic.

"What?" Ninten huffed. "I'm only trying to prove a point-"

"Well, cut it out! You could've just told me," Ness whispered. Ninten caught something like fear flit into his panicked violet orbs before it disappeared. Ness and fear...those words didn't ring well together. And that only proved Ninten's worst suspicions...

"Ness, what happened to you last week?" Ninten lowered his voice in worry. He hadn't been able to talk to Ness in a while, and up close, he was shocked to see that Ness looked worse off than he had previously thought: dark bags surrounded his listless eyes, and that brooding look was there on his face. "Holy crap, you look awful! Did you even _sleep_ at all?"

"Gee, thanks, Ninten," Ness said sarcastically, rubbing his eyes tiredly. But when Ninten shot him a determined glare, Ness finally caved in. "Okay, Claus was right...I was ambushed last week," Ness muttered quietly. His palms shook, but Ninten couldn't tell if it was out of anger or fear. Ness clenched his teeth. "I think Paula's been attacked too. No one's seen her around for two weeks, Ninten. **Two** **whole weeks**. I've been searching for some clues in the meantime, but so far, nothing." His hands curled tightly into fists. "You need to be more careful, 'Ten. Someone wants PSI users _badly_."

"Well, funny story actually," Ninten interrupted lightly. "But I think I know who's behind all this."

Ness immediately whipped around. "Who?" he demanded.

"Professor Giygas."

Ness looked as if someone had slapped him upside the head with a frying pan. The dumbstruck boy continued to gape wordlessly, and his feet turned to jelly in his bewilderment. Ness leaned against the metal wall heavily, not trusting his wobbly legs to stand upright. _Professor Giygas? _His expression of shock quickly drained into that of utmost horror. Expecting such a response, Ninten scrunched his eyes and braced himself for the inevitable-

_Laughter?_

"G-G-Giygas?" Ness gasped, tears forming in his eyes. He started rolling over the dusty ground, engulfed by another onslaught of giggles. His side felt like splitting apart from laughter. Was it even possible for someone to die from laughter overload? "HAHAHA-Ow! Cramp, cramp, cramp-"

It also didn't really help that Ninten was throwing him a perfectly deadpan look reminiscent of a certain redhead. "Yes. Professor Giygas," he snapped, flushing slightly. "What's so funny about _that?"_

"Hahahahaaaa-! Oh wow, nice prank, Ninten. You almost got me there." Ness wiped a stray tear from his eye and grinned, cocking an eyebrow mischievously. "Is this because Giygas gave you _detention_? Gee, I never knew you were such a sourpuss-"

"I'M SERIOUS!" Ninten yelled in a loud voice that made Ness freeze on the ground, and up further, Fuel turned around in alarm. Abashed, Ninten quickly lowered his voice. "Look, I just eavesdropped on a conversation right after school."

The Podunk teen proceeded to tell Ness the whole story. At the very end of Ninten's tale, Ness seemed to have sobered up from his laughter.

"That's certainly something…" Ness muttered thoughtfully. If anything Ninten had said bothered him, the baseball captain didn't show it.

"You're telling me!" Ninten exclaimed.

"First there's that blackmail, then a spy in our midst…" Ness crossed his arms, frowning. "And not only that, these people are apparently searching for a really strong PSI user, who's supposedly a student at our school...this gives me a bad feeling. A _really_ bad feeling."

"I know! It's fishy, right? Professor Giygas is up to something! Admit it, Ness!"

"Ninten, I agree something's definitely off, but I'm still not sure if Giygas is really up to something..." Ness grimaced. Large violet eyes appraised him. "Think about it. You are essentially telling me that our Calculus teacher is an evil mastermind-"

"Yeah."

"-who mass-produces an entire army of robots just to kidnap teenage psychics-"

"Go on."

"-and enjoys blackmailing students as well as subjecting them to the crushing failure of a math test."

"Okay, it sounds a _little_ far-fetched when you say it like _that,"_ Ninten admitted. He shook his head stubbornly. "But you gotta believe me! I heard everything in front of his _office!_"

"That's pretty convincing...but did you see his face?" Ness pointed out.

Ninten seized his hair in frustration. "It's him, Ness. I _know_ it is."

"But we can't do anything if we don't have any _proof,_" Ness said darkly, throwing his hands up in exasperation. His face softened. "Look, I trust you, but until we have actual evidence, we can't take any drastic measures. Besides, Giygas hasn't been acting unusual at all..."

Ninten grudgingly conceded his point with a grunt. "...and speaking of people acting strangely," he muttered, throwing Ness a scathing look. "Can you _please_ tell me what's wrong with Pokey? We've always stood up to him for the past few years, but he never seems to leave us alone. I mean seriously, you'd think he'd get the hint by now!"

Ness hesitated. "It's complicated..."

Ninten caught the look on his face. "It's your powers, isn't it?"

"Isn't _what?"_

"Your PSI. It caused something. Something big. Is that why you and Pokey aren't friends anymore? 'Cause that's what my fifth sense is telling me."

Ness understood too well. For some reason, Ninten had an unusual knack for guessing things correctly, an intuition that the Podunk boy claimed as his "fifth sense." Of course, to ruin the effect, Claus had always remarked that Ninten had a knack for spouting "nonsense." This usually earned him a smack on the arm or a retort that Claus lacked "common sense," which usually ended up with Ness and Lucas trying to drag a snarling Claus away from mauling their grinning loony of a friend.

Shaking out of his thoughts, Ness grimaced. "...Yeah," he admitted painfully, replaying a fairly unpleasant memory in his head. "I accidentally read his mind in fifth grade, and Pokey freaked out. He's been bullying me ever since. Sabotaging my baseball game in 7th grade was the last straw." Ness's frown deepened. "When he realized he couldn't bother me, he's been targeting Lucas and Claus instead."

"I feel like he still cared for you though, or else he would've told everybody about your powers," Ninten pointed out feebly, feeling slightly sorry for him. But Ness quickly brushed it off.

"Maybe Pokey _does_ feel guilty about it now." Ness's face darkened. "But he has no right to frame Lucas and Claus for the loss of our friendship."

They silently watched the babble of people in the sea of baseball gloves before Ninten finally mustered the courage to continue speaking.

"Why didn't you tell us about your powers?" Ninten shifted his eyes. "I mean, you know you can trust us."

"...I was too afraid to tell you," Ness reluctantly confided. The confident air completely drained out of his features, and his knees buckled from strain. Taking a deep breath, Ness exhaled shakily. "I was afraid you guys would think I was a freakshow. I don't care if other people thought that way, but I don't want to lose any more people I love." Ness laughed without mirth as Ninten stayed silent. "Stupid, right? After I was attacked...well it kind of forced me to remember that I couldn't risk hanging out with you guys. There was too much at stake. I tried to push you all away." The baseball captain looked down glumly. "I'm such an idiot."

"Yeah, you are. Did you know how worried we were?!" Ness flinched, but Ninten's voice was anything but angry. In fact, the Podunk boy was smiling. "Ah well, even idiots need someone to trust." Ninten cocked his head, his trademark lopsided grin gracing his face. Boyish mischief danced in his brown eyes. "We good, now?"

"Yeah. Thanks, Ninten." Ness flashed him a grateful look before scrunching his features into a frown. "Wait, then why didn't _you_ ever tell us about your powers?"

"Oh." Ninten fidgeted guiltily. "Same. I thought you guys would ditch me."

"No. way." Ness's eyes were filled with purple fire. "You've got to be kidding me if you thought we'd dump you for something as stupid as that."

"Says the pot calling the kettle black."

"Touche."

Snorting, they exchanged identical smirks before Ness sighed. The brooding look was back. "I guess we can't let Lucas and Claus in this. I mean, I bet they don't even know what PSI is!"

"We'll fill them in later." Ninten's eyes roamed over to the elder twin, who was currently smirking at whatever joke Fuel had cracked, and to Lucas, who was shoving them with a flustered expression. "But not now. I don't want to drag them into any danger because of us."

Ness followed Ninten's gaze onto the currently laughing twins, and his violet eyes sparked in grim determination. "Right. We need to find this powerful PSI user _fast_ before anyone else gets hurt."

_I can't lose another friend because of PSI. Not again._

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

"...and yeah, I can't believe we argued over something so stupid."

Claus blinked in disbelief. "You're joking, Ness. I thought you were mad at me!"

Ness snapped his head up in shock. "What? I thought _you_ were mad at _me_!"

Both boys exchanged incredulous looks before dissolving into genuine grins. Reaching out, they shook each other's hand firmly.

"Nice to have you back, Claus," Ness said sincerely.

Claus waved a hand. "I never left in the first place," he smirked, a hint of mischief roiling in his blue eyes.

"See, I told you a little time was all we needed! GROUP HUG!" Ninten burst out over-enthusiastically, making Lucas stare in confusion.

Claus looked equally overwhelmed. "Eh…how about _no._"

_Dude, I think you're acting a little over the top,_ Ness rebuked.

_Am I? _Ninten gazed warily at Lucas, who was looking slightly concerned for his sanity. _Oh. Oops_.

Ever since Ninten and Ness had teamed up, the two boys had been communicating through telepathy. Unfortunately, telepathy could only be used over short distances. This drawback severely limited their options.

However, with the threat of a spy hovering over their heads, neither of them could afford anybody from overhearing their conversations.

While Ness was still skeptical over Ninten's claims that Giygas was, quote-on-quote, "evil," he was wise enough to keep his guard up against the Calculus teacher. They took close tabs on Giygas as often as they could, watching for any signs of unusual activity, but the Calculus teacher was still just as snarky and cold as ever. To top this, they still had no clue who the spy was, much less who was behind it all.

Along with their secret mission came another problem: they had to avoid arousing suspicion in Lucas and Claus as well. This was proving to be quite a dilemma: The twins were, if anything, unfortunately far from dense, which was a shame because either often offered sound advice. It was incredibly difficult enough to hide their knowledge of PSI to begin with; hiding an entire secret mission without arousing suspicion seemed almost impossible...

...a fact that Ness quickly realized during their Creative Writing class.

"So, what's been bothering you this entire time?" Claus grinned. Ninten could tell Ness tensed up by the way his mind froze.

Luckily, Ness showed no sign of faltering. "I think the weekend was all I needed," Ness responded smoothly. "I was just feeling stressed about the upcoming baseball game. That's all."

For several unnerving seconds, Lucas and Claus simultaneously studied him. Almost in sync, the twins blinked, then shared a highly skeptical look with each other. Then to Ness's sheer astonishment, both of them relaxed, seeming to accept this explanation.

The atmosphere shifted noticeably.

"Eh, it's no big deal. I feel kinda bad for exploding at you," Claus said casually, flippantly waving an arm around. "Besides, you're right. The Tornado Twosons are the toughest team we're facing this year."

Ninten nearly felt his eyebrows fly off his head in astonishment. He honestly couldn't believe that the twins were so easily convinced.

"Wow. You're both taking this well," Ninten responded, surprised.

"Why not?" Lucas spoke, staring fixedly at his pencil. "Everything's been resolved."

Ninten's heart plummeted from guilt. "I guess so," he mumbled.

_They know that something's up. _Ness suddenly said. _You can tell by the way Lucas is avoiding eye contact._

_What? _Ninten casually glanced at the blond, who was biting his lip and clearly fidgeting over something to say. Ninten rolled his eyed._ Ness, I think you're just paranoid. Lucas is probably worrying over something else._

_Maybe you're right. _Ness concluded reluctantly. _But don't underestimate them._

_Right. If they find out we were ever hiding this shit from them, Claus would fry us alive._

Ness internally winced. _Don't remind me._

As if on cue, one of the twins spoke. "So..." Lucas trailed off nervously. He kept shooting Claus anxious glances, but the ginger pretended not to notice, feigning a sudden interest at the wall. Lucas turned his attention back to Earth, clearly trying to keep the conversation alive in vain. "Uh...w-we were, uh, I meant I-"

"Lucas was wondering if you noticed Paula was missing," Claus broke in impatiently, taking over the conversation, and eyeing both hatted boys with a suspicious squint.

_Hit that nail on the head. You were saying, Ninten?_

_Shut up, Ness. Now hurry up and answer before Claus realizes we're stalling._

Oh gods. Speaking of which, Ness could literally _feel_ Claus's icy blue eyes burning holes into his skin.

Ness internally winced. "Y-Yeah," he squeaked. Embarrassed, Ness cleared his throat. "Yeah. I did."

He immediately regretted his answer when Lucas threw him a questioning look. Claus looked equally confused. "You're not worried at all? It's been like a few weeks-"

"Seriously, guys?" Ness snapped. "Paula's not my girlfriend!"

"...We never said she was," Lucas said softly. He looked worried. "But the the morning announcements confirmed that she'd been kidnapped, and you two always seemed like pretty close friends..."

Ness colored. _Oh._ "Sorry, Lucas," he muttered glumly. "Yeah, I guess I'm just worried about her, you know? I don't know what happened to her, and it's frustrating, because all I can do is hope that she's okay."

Paula had been one of his closest childhood friends. Knowing that she was potentially in some kind of danger was akin to Tracy stuck in peril. That thought twisted Ness's conscious. It didn't particularly help that Lucas looked sympathetic as well; causing Lucas worry was the last thing Ness had wanted to do.

_...I can't keep this up. Do something, Ninten._

Ninten snapped out of his daze. _Huh? Oh, sorry. I got distracted. What happened?_

Initial panic fading, Ness rolled his eyes hard. "Gee Ninten, I wonder who you're staring at," he said loudly, feeling some sort of evil satisfaction when the Podunk boy suddenly responded by violently whipping his head around and comically flipping out of his chair in a noisy clatter.

"NESS!"

"Can't blame him for noticing that you were zoned out for several minutes, lover boy," Claus chuckled.

"Lover boy?" Ninten squeaked defiantly from the floor. "What-I...What are you talking about?"

Claus leaned forward smirking. "Three letters: A-N-A?" Ninten flushed a perfect crimson. Claus cackled evilly at his embarrassment, and Lucas swatted at his arm for teasing.

"Have you boys already finished your outline for the Shakespeare project?" Miss Marshmallow asked shrewdly, almost materializing by their side.

"Yes, we have, Miss. Marshmallow," Lucas replied politely without missing a beat. As he showed her the neat slip of paper, she skeptically tore it from his hands. After examining it critically, she set down the paper and threw them one last suspicious glance before sweeping forth without another word.

"I swear that Miss Marshmallow's secretly a robot," Claus whispered, eyeing her back cautiously. "It's like she sees and hears _everything_ we say."

"Maybe she is." Ninten waggled his eyebrows. "Why, you got the hots for her?"

"HELL NO!"

"Language, young man!" snapped the teacher, and sullenly, Claus sank into his seat, trying to ignore Ninten's muffled snickers.

Claus glared at him. "I was just going to say something important before I was _rudely interrupted_..."

Ninten snorted. "I doubt it."

Claus cocked an eyebrow. "You don't care that it's about Ana?"

That got Ninten's attention. "What about her?"

Claus yawned, stretching his arms. "I'm tired. I think I'm gonna take a nap-"

"I mean it, Claus!" Ninten insisted, flushed a mortified crimson. "Tell me! What's wrong with Ana?"

Claus smirked, deviously resting his head on his hands. "Maybe it's just me...but doesn't she look a little _off_ today?"

"Shut it," Ninten shot back, still grumpy over Claus's teasing. "Not that you're a fresh pansy yourself, you _jerk._"

Claus looked outraged. "Who are you calling a fresh pansy?"

"You know, she _does_ look a little preoccupied," Ness pointed out, ignoring their bickering.

Ninten looked up. "What?"

At least this time, he had a legitimate excuse to study his crush up close.

Swallowing hard, Ninten forced himself to look past her golden curls, her delicate blue eyes (all the while trying to ignore Claus's grin, honestly)...then frowned. For once, Claus was right; Ana did seem to radiate a quiet, melancholy aura. Right now, she was whispering quietly with Poo, who in turn frowned and muttered something back.

Okay, Ninten admitted that he might've felt a _tad_ bit jealous, except that both of them wore extremely grave expressions as if someone's pet hamster had died. _I mean,_ w_hat gives?_

"You know, I heard that she's still open for the Halloween Dance tomorrow," Lucas piped up casually.

Ness's eyes lit up. "Yeah! Dude, you should totally ask her out to dance!"

Ninten shook his head slowly. "But...She's been hanging around Poo a lot these days…"

"Well, then what are you waiting for? Go ask her to the dance before HE askes her first, you prat!" Claus said, bluntly shoving his shoulder.

"What?!" Ninten squeaked.

Ness rolled his eyes. "Claus has a point. Just ask her."

Ninten forced himself to calm down._ Hyperventilating, __Hyperventilating, oh geez, I am hyperventilating-_

"I can't do that, Ness! I mean, it's not like you and Paula or anything. You two've been close friends since forever, but I've never really spoken to Ana!" Ninten looked at them, clutching his head in drowning despair. "I bet she doesn't know I even exist," he lamented, gesturing dramatically at some unseen crowd.

Ness rolled his eyes. At least he knew where all that Shakespeare went.

_Uh, dramatic much?_

_Shut up, Ness. Like I don't see you eyeing Paula every chance you get._

There was an awkward pause before horrified realization hit Ninten. _Wait, Ness, I didn't mean to say-_

_No, it's okay. _Ness sounded quietly, although Ninten felt an undercurrent of pain briefly ripple through their mental contact_. _He winced. Friend or questionable romantic interest, Paula was undoubtedly someone close to Ness. Ness must feel horrible for her absence.

_Don't worry, Ness, we'll find her. _Ninten winced at how half-assed his attempt at comfort sounded, but he felt Ness's gratefulness shift in his mind.

Then Claus ruined the tender moment by smacking Ninten right in the face.

"OW! What the blazes, Claus?" Ninten yelped, backing away and rubbing the sore spot.

But Claus only responded with a deadpan expression. "It was long overdue."

Ninten stared at him in confusion before throwing his hands up into the air. "...You know what, I'm not even going to ask…"

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

As soon as Creative Writing ended, Ninten rushed over to Ana's locker, trying not to notice that three of his friends were currently sniggering and failing to hide completely out of his sight. Well, more like Ness and Claus; Lucas was mature enough to reason with them – except Claus had ignored his brother and dragged him along for the ride.

_This is so stupid! Why am I so worked up over this? I'm just asking Ana to a platonic dance tomorrow for the Halloween Party. No intimate feelings attached. No big deal._

_..._

_..._

_...Actually, screw this. Damn right this is a big deal._

He saw Ana approach, and his face paled rapidly. His fingers started to sweat and shake. Swallowing down his nerves, he prepared to call out her name. "Hey A-"

Except he was beaten to the punch by another, unwelcome guest. "Ana."

"Poo! What's up?" Ninten froze, then peered around the corner. Ana was standing with her back turned to him, oblivious to his presence. Poo approached her tentatively.

"Ah, it's a good thing I caught you. I was wondering if you were planning to attend the Celebration of Halloween Festivities?"

Ana gave a small giggle at Poo's phrasing. "The Halloween Dance? Yeah, I am! Why do you ask?"

"Well...you see..." The Dalaam boy looked slightly nervous, a rather unusual trait for the normally well-composed, stoic boy. Suddenly, Poo shifted closer to her, and a brief flare of jealousy flashed through Ninten's heart, which was coupled when Ana made no move to shrug the Dalaamese boy off.

Poo leaned in closer, lowering his voice into a mutter. Ninten inched forward and barely made out the last of his words. "...I want to talk to you alone. _In private_."

Ana sounded slightly surprised. "Oh, sure."

Ninten felt his insides freeze. He couldn't stand to stay any longer. Swiveling around, he turned on his heel to storm away, trying not to feel his wounded heart shattering to pieces. He gulped back the lump in his throat before striding to class, brushing aside the alarmed cries of his friends.

_Forget Poo. Forget Ana._

_Forget everything._

Because in that sinking moment, Ninten felt like the world's greatest loser.

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

Claus blearily opened his eyes. He lazily glanced at his bedside clock.

**3:15 AM**

He gave a exasperated groan, before rolling over onto his side. He and Lucas had slept a late trying to perfect their Halloween costumes for tomorrow. Claus would've flat-out refused to participate had Lucas not come up with such an intriguing idea.

But forget the costume; Claus wanted sleep. Great. Now he was going to feel both cranky AND sleepy tomorrow morning. Stupid brain, waking him up in the middle of the night for no particular reason-

A barely audible sniffle caught his ear.

Claus's eyes flew open. Now, he _definitely_ knew he'd heard something. Quiet sobbing to his right only seemed to confirm his guess.

"...Lucas?"

The moonlight was bright enough for Claus to catch the tear tracks on his brother's face before Lucas caught his eye, hastily wiping them off with his pajama sleeves. "S-Sorry if I woke you up, Claus," the blond croaked. Mortified, Lucas instantly turned to face the wall, stuffing his face right into his pillow. "I-It's just a stupid nightmare..."

Claus wasn't fooled. Even though the thought of sinking his head back into his soft, fluffy bed was tempting, the ginger knew he couldn't leave his distressed twin alone like this. With a sigh, Claus slowly made his way to his brother and wrapped a comforting arm around him.

"Was it about mom?" he asked tentatively.

"No."

Claus's heart sank. _Oh. Then it was THAT dream. _He poked his brother. "Hey. It's okay, I'm here."

"I know," Lucas responded in a thick voice. There was only comforting silence as Claus rubbed reassuring circles on his brother's back. Eventually he felt Lucas's panicked breathing ease. Lucas finally laughed quietly, a strange mix of embarrassment and fear. Even in the dark, Claus could tell that his twin was avoiding his eyes. "Sorry, this is so stupid-"

"It's not." Claus met his eyes seriously. Lucas was easily able to read through the cracks: a lot of heart-crushing guilt welled in those miserable blue eyes. "I'd be frightened too if you ever did something like that." Claus hesitated, before pulling himself together. "I'm sorry, Lucas," he murmured gruffly.

Lucas gave a shaky laugh before giving him a weak smile. "You're such an idiot, Claus. Don't be sorry, you're still here." He gave a tired yawn, stretching out his arms. "It's kind of early in the morning," Lucas admitted sheepishly. "We should get some sleep."

"Yeah." Claus couldn't help but throw him a concerned look. "You're not feeling sick, are you?"

Lucas rolled his eyes. "I'm _fine_, Claus." Innocent blue eyes gazed at him firmly. "You stayed, and that's all that matters. Stop beating yourself up over something that happened ages ago."

Claus snorted, slumping back into his own bed. "Okay, okay, sheesh. Just don't wet the bed crying for daddy."

Lucas threw a pillow at his direction, and it lightly smacked Claus in the face before bouncing into his lap. "You're insufferable."

"You're impossible."

"You're such a ginger."

"Racist much?"

"I don't have a vendetta against all gingers." Lucas grinned. "Just against you."

Claus smirked as he settled back into his covers. "Whatever. Night."

"Good night, Claus."

But barely a minute passed before Lucas's voice meekly shattered the night silence. "Uh...Claus?"

"Yeah?"

"...Can you toss my pillow back?"


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note:**

**HOLY APPLESAUCE! Lucas is confirmed for SSBB4! *Cries a river of happiNess***

**...Sorry. I couldn't resist adding a lame pun in commemoration. But tis a happy day! :') Now onto answering the reviews:**

**ApprenticeWriter: Thank you. :) I'm glad the first several chapters were able to grab your interest! Your honesty about not knowing what to expect is actually something I can relate to. Sometimes I end up judging a book by its cover (oops) but read it later only to be mindblown. It's a pleasant surprise.**

**OXYD: I guess Ninten's very upset, but I don't know about pissed. xD I think it's a little too strong of a word haha. And gee, I wonder where Paula is too... ;) We'll find out. She's a strong girl after all~ **

**Paula-Ana**: **Yeah, I don't know if it's for better or worse, but even though I started off with a lot of Claus, this particular part of the story focuses a lot on Ninten (for an important reason!). I'll try to make updates as steady as possible but...college.**

**Civetri**: **Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed the previous chapter! But**** I'm sorry to break your heart, Ninten! :( I swear there's a perfectly logical explanation behind this!**

**JustMeHi**: **Dude, don't be self-conscious! In fact, I am absolutely thrilled that you are so inquisitive! It puts me on my toes and makes sure I don't confuse readers. What I found interesting was that most of the answers to your questions are actually covered in future chapters. xD ****And no, you are not over-reviewing. :) I've had the same readers reply to every chapter in some of my stories, and I was never bothered; it is always a pleasure to write back! And sorry, to ****answer your questions (all of them are awesome!):**

**(1) Yes, The four had PSI from the beginning, but their PSI was awakened at different times. Ninten's PSI was awakened earliest, and I think this might be covered in a future chapter. Hope it clears some of your confusion. :)**

**(2) Starmen cannot detect telepathy. How the Starmen can detect PSI is present in a future chapter, so don't worry. :)**

**(3) Again, covered in this chapter and expanded on in future chapters. :) But to be clear: Yes, they should be able to sense each other, but none of them are experts yet. Lucas and Claus are still inexperienced (their PSI was most recently awakened). While Ninten has the most experience with PSI out of all of them, it still takes him a lot of concentration, and a noisy high school isn't the best place to focus on something outside of classes/friends. Ness is somewhat in the middle; he is not as sensitive to PSI as Ninten, but he has more experience than the twins.**

**...Wow I realized that my word count is steadily increasing with every chapter. Oh dear.**

**[Insert Appropriate Disclaimer Here]**

* * *

><p>Another nightmare troubled Lucas that night.<p>

Usually they were unpleasant replays of his worst memories and darkest fears, but this time, the dream felt strangely...different.

Blindly stumbling around in a cloud of hissing mist, Lucas stood alone in the cold, damp cave. Dew drops trickled down, leaving trails both cool and moist against his face. There was no light nor any sound...

Just darkness.

"Hello? Anyone there?" Lucas called out.

There was no response except for the clear, poignant drip of water from the stalactites. A figure blurred into the haze, and warily, Lucas peered into the gloom.

"Boney? Dad? ...Claus?"

_Boney? Dad? _His voice echoed back pathetically in response. The walls of the cave groaned and shuddered. _Claus_?

"Lucas."

He looked over his shoulder.

"Mom...?"

Hinawa lay sprawled on the rocky ground, her brown hair fanned underneath her prone form like a grisly curtain of dried blood. Coughing weakly, she reached out to him with a shaking hand.

"My s-son...I'm so sorry." Unshed tears sprung in her eyes. "I can no longer protect you from the danger that awaits you..."

Without second thought, Lucas sprinted forward, kneeling by her side. "Mom! Mom, no! Please! Don't die!"

Desperately, he hugged her, trying to instill some life into her limp form. But his hand felt nauseatingly sticky, and realized that warm blood had coated his fingers. In dismayed horror, he slowly looked down at the gaping stab wound in his mother's chest. The sharp smell of warm blood began to suffocate him in nauseating droves, and shuddering, Lucas choked, gripping her hand tighter.

Soft, uneven footsteps echoed behind him. Lucas didn't have to turn around to know whose they were.

"Claus?"

When his brother gave no response, Lucas slowly turned around. Claus helplessly met his gaze with unfocused eyes, then back at his left leg stuck in a crevice.

Gently laying his mother on her side, Lucas sprinted over, trying to support Claus's weight, but no matter how hard he tried, the leg wouldn't budge.

"Claus!"

The cave pulsated with ominous violet light as it began to rumble, rocks falling from the unstable ceiling. In a short time, Lucas knew that the cave was going to collapse.

Suddenly, Claus roughly shoved him away. "_Lucas,_" he whispered forcefully. "_Run_. _Save yourself._"

"What about you?" Lucas cried. Claus didn't respond, still struggling with his stuck leg. "You'll die!"

"_You must make a choice_." Something touched his arm, and Lucas looked down. His mother's dead eyes were wide-open and blank, yet her lips managed to move of their own accord. Her grotesque, spindly fingers gripped his wrist, her sharp, crusty fingernails digging painfully into bone.

"What do you mean?" Lucas demanded fearfully. Claus looked almost inhuman in the eerie light. "What do I have to do?"

Claus faced him impassively. That dead stare sent a shiver down Lucas's spine: one of his eyes was its usual baby blue shade, but the other was bloody crimson. "..._You lose,_" he groaned horribly. Then before Lucas could do anything, the cave crumbled down...

But not before he saw something sharp impale his brother through the stomach.

Lucas screamed.

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~oO0Oo~

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.

"Hey. HEY! Wake up, sleepy head! We gotta go to school!"

Lucas's eyes snapped open at Claus's grinning face. "Finally! I've been trying to wake you up for the past ten minutes!" Lucas could only stare back dumbly. "Listen, we're out of eggs, so you need to tell me what you want for breakfast before dad wrecks the kitchen with his awful cooking."

"...Claus...Y-Your eyes," Lucas stuttered.

Claus frowned. "What about my eyes?"

"They're blue..."

"Uh...yeah..." Claus looked at him weirdly. "We're twins..." The ginger noticed Lucas's sweaty face and shaking hands. "Lucas, are you okay?" Lucas felt a familiar tendril of thought prod his mind inquisitively, and immediately hid his memories, sending a reassuring sentiment back to his brother in return. There was no need to make Claus worried over something so trivial.

"...Yeah. Just another nightmare," the blond mumbled before giving a weak smile, rising out of bed to change out of his pajamas.

Claus snorted before rolling his eyes, and retracted his mental probe from his brother's mind. "If you say so. I can't believe you're still worked up over nightmares!" Lucas scowled playfully and tried to push him away, but Claus nimbly jumped backwards out of his reach. "Ha! Too slow!"

"Claus!"

Giggling madly, the ginger began to run down the stairs, only pausing midway to call out, "Hurry up, slowpoke, or dad's gonna get up there and hose you down! No joke!"

As Lucas listened to his brother's pitter-patter of footsteps fade, he tried not to succumb to the growing sense of dread in his stomach. _It's probably nothing_, Lucas reasoned, pretending not to worry about the contents of his nightmare as he tugged on a striped shirt and walked out of the room. _It's probably nothing at all..._

But that horrible feeling of despair lingered. _Why do I still feel so uneasy?_

_...You must make a choice..._

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~oO0Oo~

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"Here's the deal," Ness whispered to Ninten as they trudged off to their first class. "The Halloween Dance takes place at four in the afternoon."

"Okay...so?"

"It's a pretty big event, so I'm betting that most of the student body's gonna show up. That's where we kick in." Ness threw him a shifty glance. "It's the best time to keep an eye out for our Mystery Person."

"I call the dance floor!" Ninten blurted out. Ness glared at him suspiciously. Ignoring him, Ninten tried to keep a straight face. "You, uh, you can check the classrooms. Yeah."

"Ninten, I don't think that's a good idea."

"What? Of course it's a good idea!"

_Don't lie. __You're going to end up stalking Poo and Ana if you check out the dance floor. _

_What! N-No, I'm not! _

Ness frowned. "You know, I'm surprised. I've known Poo for a while, and he's never entertained thoughts about starting a romantic relationship. And it's not like he's unpopular with the girls either; you've seen his fan club strutting behind him everywhere he goes."

"Yeah! He's not even that good looking!"

"Uh...that's not what I meant, Ninten."

"Oh. What's your point?"

"...Nevermind." Ness lifted his bag. "I'm going to class. See you later, 'Ten."

"Sure thing."

Immediately, Ninten frowned in concentration. He had no offensive PSI, but as if to compensate, Ninten was gifted with unusual psychic sensitivity. He could easily detect traces of PSI radiating from someone's inner core, like a dog could sniff out a certain smell. For the past few years, he had noticed a subtle buzzing sound gnawing at his mind, but he had dismissed it as his PSI senses going haywire. But now, knowing that Ness could also use PSI, Ninten realized that he was actually picking up on the energy cores of other PSI users in the school.

...And if Ninten concentrated hard enough, he might be able to track down that powerful, raw tingling sensation he had detected a few weeks ago. It seemed to overpower all of the other buzzing sensations gnawing at his mind. Without a doubt, he was clearly picking up on an unimaginably vast pool of PSI energy.

But the background noise and general babble made it really hard to focus on anything, much less on the trail itself...

"Nice costume, Ninten!"

Recognizing the voice, Ninten jerked out of his thoughts and instinctively plastered a silly grin onto his face. He readjusted his cape and vampire teeth before casually greeting his friend.

"Thanks, Lucas." Ninten surveyed the twins curiously. Lucas was brimming with a quiet sort of excitement, while Claus looked, well...bored as usual. "Did you guys not dress up?"

"No," Claus said bluntly. "Dressing up's lame."

Ninten frowned. "Really? Lucas seemed pretty excited about working on it last week."

Lucas shrugged in response. "The costumes took too much time to finish."

Ninten smirked. "Yeah, right. You don't have to lie, Lucas. I bet Claus was just being a surly prick."

Claus snorted, then clapped a hand over his mouth. Expecting a retort, Ninten was surprised when the ginger violently convulsed, looking like he was trying not to laugh.

The Podunk boy eyed his smirk warily. Claus was smiling. Claus was _smiling _for no reason. And when Claus was in a good mood, he either had blackmail, or somebody (namely Ninten) was about to get their ego crushed. "Uh, Claus...?"

Sulking sourly, Lucas harshly elbowed his brother in the ribs. _You idiot! Stop smiling!_

Claus frowned, then dropped his smile in favor of a pained grimace, as though he were dying very slowly. _How's this? I think it suits your charming persona very well._

_You suck at acting._

_I bet this is the first thing you see in the mirror when you wake up in the morning._

Lucas suddenly smacked his brother with a scowl. Claus burst out laughing hysterically in response, clutching at his sides. In a chain reaction, Ninten couldn't help but laugh too at the twins' weird facial expressions. Lucas and Claus were acting so out of character, it was so hard to believe that they didn't switch bodies overnight-

Wait. _Waaaaait._

Hold that thought.

"Did you guys dress up as each other?" Ninten blurted out. Both twins looked at each other.

They blinked once.

Twice.

Then "Lucas" whined. "Lucas, I told you not to give our act away so soon!"

"But you smacked me on the arm! That was such a total give-away," "Claus" smirked.

Ninten grinned. "Clever trick, but you can't fool me. I've known you two long enough to know who's who," he noted, even realizing that the twins had even dyed their hair to cover the subtle differences. "But that's a pretty neat costume idea. Wait till Ness sees this!" he cackled.

"I doubt Ness would be fooled," "Claus" said.

"Oh, you'd be surprised, Cl-Lucas," Ninten corrected, stuffing his math textbook into his bag. "I bet Ness is so focused on preparing for our baseball game this week that he's completely oblivious to everything else around him."

"Lucas" rolled his eyes. "Ness would see through this right away, Ninten. There's _no_ way he's not going to notice...

.

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~oO0Oo~

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"...I can't believe he really hasn't figured it out yet," "Claus" whispered in awe. Ninten had to remind himself that it was actually Lucas who had spoken. Dammit, this was actually getting somewhat confusing.

"Told you so," Ninten whispered back, gesturing at the oblivious baseball captain, who was muttering various pitching strategies under his breath. "Actually, I think it's kind of funny watching him act like this before every baseball game."

Ness had an undeniably strong determination, which served him very well at any task he put his mind to. But sometimes, he would get so deeply absorbed in something (say, a baseball game) that he would completely shut everything else out.

But curiosity enveloped Ninten; now he actually had the chance to find out what on earth Ness was thinking in these bouts of serious concentration.

Immediately, Ninten berated himself for thinking such thoughts. _It's rude to randomly poke into people's head without permission..._

_But it can't hurt to ask, right? _Ninten tentatively approached Ness's mind, and poked it cautiously as if it were a sleeping dragon.

_Ness_, he thought loudly.

Ness was so preoccupied that he didn't even notice his presence. _._.._I need to train Poo to perfect that killer curveball. Then I need to double-check that everyone has rides to the park...and dude, what's up with Fuel? I don't get why he's so annoyed. It's only my fifth reminder! And oh yeah, Coach wanted me to pick up his ice cooler-_

Ninten stifled a snigger before retracting his mind. "Yep, he's completely out of it."

"Lucas" was scowling down at the lunch table. Even though Ninten knew it was actually Claus, it was still bizarre to see that expression on "Lucas"'s face.

Ness finally snapped back to Earth. Noticing how Lucas was glaring furiously at the table as if it had offended him in some way, Ness eyed his best friend with a strange look. "Lucas, are you okay?"

"Lucas" coughed. "Stomach ache," he grunted.

Seconds ticked past. Everyone stared at "Lucas" blankly.

"I had explosive diarrhea," "Lucas" deadpanned.

Ninten laughed out loud at the distraught look on "Claus"'s face.

"...Are you really sure you're okay, Lucas?" Ness started, eying the twin in utter concern. "You sound like you're high."

"He's not!" "Claus" hastily blurted out.

Ness immediately turned his attention to him with a frown. "And Claus, you're acting unusually peppy. Are you about to blackmail someone?"

"WHAT? I NEVER-MMmmmph!"

"Of course I am," "Claus" said, grinning mischievously and covering his indignant brother's mouth. He cackled, "I'm going to blackmail all the teachers because I'm a sourpuss and always will be!"

_...Lucas, next time, I'm waking you up in the morning with a bucket of ice water._

_What?! That's not fair!_

Ness looked absolutely gobsmacked when "Lucas" started to snicker into his palms. The baseball captain squinted his eyes suspiciously. "You guys are totally trolling me, aren't you? Both of you are acting really weird and - wait a minute!" Ness's shoulders tensed quite abruptly as a spark of realization entered his eyes. "Lucas, you-"

They all held their breath for the inevitable conclusion...

"-have ketchup on your face."

The extremely awkward silence that followed was almost tangible. Ninten punctured it with a forced cough.

"Claus" at least tried to keep a straight face for the first five seconds. "'Scuse me," he managed to say before immediately cracking up into uncontrollable laughter.

On the other hand, a frustrated "Lucas" banged his head onto the table. "Are you serious, Ness?!" Claus snapped loudly, lifting his head from the table to gesture wildly at his brother. "We. Dressed. Up. As. Each. Other!"

Ness snorted, finally unable to restrain a laugh. "I was just kidding."

"About time you noticed," Claus grumbled.

"I wanted to see how long you could last before you exploded," Ness explained, grinning. "How many people did you fool today?"

"Everyone except you two," Lucas admitted with a grin of his own before blowing away a strand of ginger hair from his face.

Ninten rubbed his head. There was that strange, prickling sensation, growing stronger and stronger at the back of his mind...

_Ness, I think I'm picking up faint traces of __PSI. _As Ninten "spoke," his eyes darted around. That mental buzz still persisted in his mind, and it raised the hairs on his arms. _Whoever it is, the PSI user we're looking for is close. And I mean REALLY close._

A pause as Ness did his own mental scan of the room. _Now that you mention it, I think I can barely feel it. But I can't tell where it's coming from. It_ _could be anyone in this room!_ Ness studied the large mass of people in the cafeteria. _Can __y__ou sense where it's coming from? _

_I don't think I can. Not with all this noise._

"Man, this is awesome!" Claus continued with a cackle, flexing his hands. He didn't seem to notice their absence from the conversation. "I can do whatever mischief I can today, and NOT get into trouble!"

Lucas narrowed his eyes. "Don't you dare, Claus."

"Spoilsport."

"Cheapskate."

"Lucas, stop bullying Claus," Ninten chimed in, trying to ignore the weird buzzing. He rubbed his head. _Quit it, _he told himself.

"Wait, but _I'm_ Lucas!" Lucas clamored indignantly.

"I feel like I'm seeing double," Ness groaned, rubbing the back of his head. "And it's confusing me as heck. Don't you two _ever_ pull this off again."

He clearly missed the mischievous look the twins shared. "We won't," Lucas and Claus chimed at the same time, identical smirks widening on their faces as they both crossed their fingers behind their backs.

The rest of school surprisingly passed without any trouble.

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~oO0Oo~

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The Halloween Dance was just like any other high school dance: loud, awkward, and chaotic.

Most students grooved on the dance floor in a wild, almost possessed fervor: hair flipping, hand gestures, and whatever was the latest trend in punky. Others skulked around out on the sidelines, and a few clusters of students socialized loudly around the perimeter. In short, everyone looked like they were having a blast.

That was, except for two people.

Ness dragged Ninten over, then set a hand on his shoulder. "I guess this is it, Ninten." Violet eyes appraised him, reflecting the multicolored lights of the disco ball. The gravity of their mission seemed to weigh heavily on their shoulders, and Ness could tell that Ninten was also feeling as nervous and tense as he was. "I'm going to take refuge in the boy's restroom and survey the school from there. Sit here and try to hone in on that PSI trail."

"Easier said than done," Ninten grumbled, folding his arms. He gestured at the screaming mass of students and the obnoxiously loud pop music blaring from the speakers. "I don't think I can track anything in this infernal music." He looked confused. "And I thought you were monitoring the dance floor?"

Ness looked serious. "You're better at tracking PSI than me. I don't think I'd have much luck if I stayed here." He looked sympathetic. "Sorry, Ninten."

"It's okay," Ninten said, heart leaping slightly. Maybe he could sneak a glance at Poo and Ana...He tried to mask his feelings, although Ness probably knew how he was feeling.

"And be careful. Lucas and Claus might be here."

"What?!" Ninten shouted, leaping onto his feet. "I thought they weren't coming?"

"They said they _might_. Better safe than sorry."

Ninten groaned, slapping a hand onto his face. "I can't believe it..." This was probably the first time he had found the presence of the twins unwelcome. If Lucas and Claus spotted them, that meant that Ninten couldn't concentrate on finding the PSI trail while conversing with them at the same time. Ditching them would be out of the question: it would only raise further complications Ninten did not want to think about...

"You'd better watch out too, Ness," Ninten said cautiously, narrowing his eyes. "Teachers are patrolling, and Professor Giygas is here too."

Ness chuckled, fingering the bill of his hat. "I'll keep that in mind. Thanks."

Ninten watched as the crowd of people swallowed up his best friend. Fidgeting in anticipation of the risky situation, he took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly.

_It's showtime._

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~oO0Oo~

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_Creak._ Ness winced at the loud sound as he opened the squeaky wooden door.

Ness liked to keep an open mind about approaching any problem, and while Ninten's suspicion about Giygas might have seemed silly, it couldn't hurt to start here. Luckily, he knew the school surveillance cameras had started malfunctioning from the beginning of the year, and had not yet been replaced. Another stroke of fortune graced him: the classroom was not completely locked.

_The janitor must have forgotten to lock the door_, he silently concluded.

Carefully scanning his surroundings, he slipped inside. Giygas's classroom was plain: a storage cabinet, a desk, and several student desk-chairs. There probably wasn't any incriminating evidence here, but Ness searched every desk-chair, every nook and crannie. The storage cabinet was locked but Ness already knew that it only contained Calculus textbooks.

Ruling out the storage cabinet and the student desk-chairs, Ness crept up to Professor Giygas's desk. Focusing his mind, he used his telepathy to make out the shape of the objects inside each drawer.

The first contained an assortment of pens and pencils. Nothing suspicious.

The second had several jagged objects. From the feel of it, Ness deduced they were protractors, rulers, and some small pieces of chalk.

But he struck gold on the very bottom drawer. It wasn't the contents that tipped him off; from the looks of it, it felt like a sheet of paper. But he could feel a humming buzz of energy radiating from the keyhole. PSI?

_Ninten_.

_Yo, what's up?_

_I'm searching Giygas's classroom._ Ness glanced at the door warily. Thankfully, no one still seemed to be outside._ I don't think there's anything suspicious here, but the very bottom drawer of his desk is sealed with PSI. _

_What?! _Ninten sounded in confusion. _That makes no sense! _A pause. _Try unlocking it with your own PSI._

Ness hovered one hand over the lock, and closed his eyes in concentration. The lock shuddered, but the drawer refused to open. _I__ can't. I think the lock only opens to a certain PSI signature. __D'you want to come over here and try it out?_

_..._

_..._

_..._

_...Ninten?_

But Ness heard no response except static.

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~oO0Oo~

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"...Where are they?" Claus complained grumpily as they searched through the boggling mass of students. They had come to the dance a little late because Flint had needed their help in farm work. By the time they were finished, the twins were covered head to toe in dirt and sweat. To their disappointment, that meant they had to shower and wash away not just the dust, but also the hair dye they had carefully applied the day before.

Claus irritably flicked at his now-ginger hair. But the excitement present in the packed dance floor slightly brightened his sour mood. Disco music pulsated through the air, and as the catchy beat intensified, Claus seemed to feed off of the rising energy in the room.

On the other hand, Lucas looked slightly uncomfortable. He tended to shy away from people, so being stuffed in a crowded gym was not exactly his cup of tea. He winced as his poor eardrums were assaulted with rapid-fire sixteenth notes. "Ness and Ninten might not be here yet."

"Well they'd better come. Ninten still owes me $5.00 for buying him lemonade."

"...Actually, now that you mention it, I'm feeling a little thirsty."

"There's the vending machine."

"I think I'm good with the water fountain."

Claus snorted. "That stuff's gross."

Lucas shrugged as they walked out of the noisy gym into the silent school corridor. "I don't want to spend your money. You're saving up for that Super Smash Brawl game after all." He pressed the button on the water fountain with his thumb and leaned over to quench his thirst.

Claus smirked cheekily, leaning against the wall next to him. "Well, who needs video games when you can use _real_ powers?"

Lucas almost spat out the water from the water fountain. "Claus!" He coughed, clutching his chest.

The ginger started cackling. "What? Afraid if I do...this?" He opened his right hand. "PK Thunder." Jagged bolts of electricity suddenly erupted from the tips of his fingers, but each bolt immediately shot inwards into his hand. Now a crackling sphere of lightning nestled in his palm.

Lucas looked wary. "Put that down..."

Claus teasingly waved the crackling sphere back and forth in front of his face like a very dangerous baseball. "Relax, Lucas. There's nobody here!"

"Stop it, Claus. It's making me nervous."

"Why?" Claus grinned, increasing the yield of electricity so that his entire hand was glowing. "All under control."

"Claus!" Lucas scrabbled at his hand, trying to extinguish it. "Stop it!"

"Okay, I will! Stop pushing me!" Claus flustered uncharacteristically, concentration starting to slip from Lucas's distraction.

But in that split moment Claus's focus wavered, and Lucas's hand accidentally brushed against stray a bolt of lightning, swatting it towards the bronze bell of the fire alarm. Immediately a flame blossomed with an ominous '_floom_.'

Then all hell broke loose.

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~oO0Oo~

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Ninten felt like a stalker as he guiltily scanned the crowd for any suspicious figures.

For the umpteenth time that day, he tried to focus on his mission at hand. Faces and people blurred together as he tried to hone in on any trace of that powerful PSI. Fuel was jazzing it up on the sidelines, teasing Loid. A nervous Pokey resurfaced from the dance floor before the crowd swallowed him up. For a second there, Ninten swore he might have seen Ana and Poo standing together on the sparkling tiles, but they disappeared out of sight before he could take a closer look.

Detecting PSI was like trying to select for a certain radio frequency, except the noise here was ridiculously loud. And if he stayed too long in one place, the chances of somebody coming up to talk to him only increased. More distractions were the last thing he needed.

So far, he was disappointed. Ninten couldn't detect anything. Downtrodden by his failure, he miserably decided to head back to the refreshment table and try isolating the PSI trace there-

"Um...Excuse me, Ninten?"

Ninten turned around, surprised at who had just spoken to him. "Poo?"

The Dalaam immigrant was standing alone. To Ninten's surprise, there was a look of worry on his face. "Have you seen Ana pass by?"

"Uh...no." Ninten raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Was I supposed to?"

"She left with another classmate whom I do not know well...This is not good." Poo swore something in his native tongue, stunning the Podunk teen. That was probably the first time Ninten had ever heard Poo curse. "If you see her, can you let me know? Please?" The usually composed boy looked worried beyond his wits. Without wasting another second, Poo strode away.

Ninten was beyond baffled. Despite his resentment towards Poo, he couldn't deny the inevitable: gut instinct told him that something was clearly wrong.

And if it involved Ana...

"Poo!" Ninten shoved through the crowd, ignoring the annoyed glares he received from his peers. "Wait up!"

_Ninten_.

_Yo, what's up? _Ninten answered back, eyeing Poo's retreating form as he followed.

_I'm searching Giygas's classroom. __I don't think there's anything suspicious here, but the very bottom drawer of his desk is sealed with PSI._

That revelation was the last thing Ninten had in mind. _What?! __That makes no sense! _He squinted around. Did he just lose track of Poo...? No, wait, he caught a flash of his braid at the entrance of the gym. Poo was entering the corridor. Ninten followed, twisting and ducking around flailing limbs and bodies. _Try unlocking it with your own PSI._

After a pause, Ness's voice rang out again. _I__ can't. I think the lock only opens to a certain PSI signature. D'you want to come over here and try it out?_

But before Ninten could respond, a hand roughly clamped onto his shoulder, startling him. In that split second, Poo vanished from sight, the double doors closing behind him. "Ninten," Professor Giygas stated coolly. "Shoving people out of the way and running inside the school are strictly forbidden. Your lack of consideration never fails to astound me."

"I'm sorry!" Ninten cut out impatiently, scowling as he roughly shook off his hand. "I need to catch up to a friend!"

Professor Giygas only raised an eyebrow. His face seemed weirdly distorted in a rainbow of colors reflected from the discoball. "Still have no disregard for rules, do we, Ninten?" He bent over to his eye level. "Do you want me to write you up for misconduct?"

Ninten could hear Ness's worried thoughts poking at his head, but he couldn't answer back with Professor Giygas so close by. A blank face was a tell-tale sign of telepathy, and if Giygas was a PSI user too, he could definitely recognize it. Warily, Ninten studied the man. "No, Professor," Ninten responded stiffly.

His cold eyes studied him, and Ninten felt goosebumps rise from his arms as he ignored the growing feeling of dread knot his stomach. "You don't have to hide it from me, Ninten." Giygas's mouth twitched upwards, and he even looked amused. "I know you can use PSI."

Ninten's blood froze. "I-I have no idea what you are talking about," he stammered, instinctively taking a step backwards.

With an unconvinced smile, Professor Giygas opened his mouth to say something that would have been very memorable-

Had not the fire alarm gone off.

Professor Giygas stood still at the shrill ringing, slack-jawed in shock. He stared at the red blaring light in incomprehension. "What in the world...?"

Mass pandemonium broke out as students began to scream and shout. The sprinklers activated, showering more confusion onto the already panicked crowd. Professor Giygas immediately strode over to help the other teachers safely escort students outside in an orderly manner.

But squeezing past the students, Ninten made his way unnoticed towards Giygas's classroom. If this was an actual fire, he didn't have much time to waste. Fervently thanking the distraction, he kicked open the door and made his way to the teacher's desk. To his surprise, Ness wasn't here, but just as he reached that conclusion, he felt a familiar tendril of thought prod his mind.

_Ness?_

_Ninten!_ The baseball captain exclaimed. _Where the heck are you? When I heard the fire alarm, __I thought something bad happened to you! _

_Sorry, it's a long story. I'll tell you later. Right now, I'm checking out that bottom drawer you mentioned._

_You WHAT? Ninten, forget it, there's a FREAKING FIRE in the school!_

_I know, airhead!_ Black tendrils of smoke floated into the room, and Ninten started to panic. _Ness, just tell me how to open the frickin' drawer so I can __get the heck out of here!_

To his credit, Ness kept a cool head, and reacted calmly. _Place your right palm over the lock. __The PSI kind of does the rest, but nothing happened when I tried._

Ninten gently hovered his hand over the lock. His fingers shook, and he could see his hands perspiring profusely from the rising heat. After several seconds, he felt an energy pulse from the lock. Almost like a magnet, the pulse seemed to align his hands into a certain position.

Almost in response, his right hand tingled with a sudden rush of power, then to his surprise, his palm glowed once before the lock unclasped. The drawer slid open smoothly, revealing a piece of paper. Well, that was anticlimactic.

_I unlocked it! _

_You did? _Ness sounded bewildered. _I thought the lock only reacts to a certain PSI signature!_

_Same. Oh well, I'm not complaining._ Ninten stuffed the document into his jacket. More smoke was pouring into the room from the corridor, and he coughed from the suffocating heat.

_Ninten!_

_I think the fire's blocking the door,_ Ninten responded weakly. This was bad, _really_ bad: an asthma attack was the last thing he needed right now. Flames were now licking the sides of the classroom, devouring the wall paper.

_The windows!_ Ness exclaimed._ They're unlocked!_

Ninten grunted with exertion as he slid the glass open. Without wasting a second, he threw himself over the window sill. Just in time too, because the classroom immediately exploded into flames behind him.

Ninten turned around to stare at the burning wreckage with a look of fascinated horror. _If I had spent any more time stuck inside__, __I could've died..._Returning to his senses, a dazed Ninten sprinted toward the cluster of students gathered outside. Luckily, everybody seemed disoriented, and no one seemed to have noticed that he had been missing. He searched the crowd for a familiar baseball cap as teachers frantically ran a rollcall. _Ness, I'm outside. Where are you?_

_Uh..., _Ness paused. He sounded reluctant to answer. _I'm still inside the school. _

_...WHAT?! _It was Ninten's turn to shriek mentally. _What the hell are you still doing there? _

_Give me a minute. I just have to check something._

_What's so important? Ness?_

_..._

"Damn it!" Ninten swore. Ness was purposely ignoring him, or seriously injured. He fervently hoped it was the former. Instinctively raising his hand when his name was called out on the roster, Ninten stood in place, mind racing. In any case, the sprinklers had been activated, so the fire should probably not be much of a threat any more...but teachers were bound to notice Ness's absence at some point.

"I wonder what triggered the fire alarm?" Jeff pondered out loud next to him. He adjusted his glasses up, still dripping wet from the fire sprinklers.

"Probably a gas leak," Ninten suggested impatiently, craning his neck to look around.

"Highly doubtful as a systems check was conducted last week. The school was in perfect condition. By the way, where's Ness?" Jeff asked curiously. Ninten should've known better than to hope he wouldn't ask; Jeff had been pretty good childhood friends with Ness.

"I-I...I don't know," Ninten managed, internally praying that the stubborn idiot wasn't injured.

"Don't tell me he's still inside the school!" Jeff exclaimed, alarmed.

"...Crap, Miss Marshmallow just called out Ness's name in roll call." Ninten blanched. His heart sank as he spotted the teacher swiveling her head with beady eyes.

"...Ness!" The woman barked. "Young man, please respond to your name!"

"PRESENT!" A voice loudly crowed from the back. Both Ninten and Jeff jumped in shock, then swiveled around to spot a sooty, but very-much-alive, Ness. "Hey guys!"

"Ness! Good to see you're all right!" Jeff said, clapping a relieved hand on his back. Next to him, Ninten relaxed.

"It'll take more than a fire to get rid of me!" He said, still grinning. The ambulance and firetrucks began to pull up next to the school, their sirens wailing shrilly. In that second, Ness's concerned eyes caught Ninten's.

_Are you okay? That explosion looked nasty._

_I barely escaped, but I'm fine._ Ninten grinned, patting the document hidden in his jacket._ PK Healing does wonders._ Ness didn't look convinced, but Ninten's face hardened when he finally remembered why he was angry. _And don't you lecture me, Ness! W__hat the blazes were you still doing inside the school?_

_Listen, Ninten, I wasn't sure if you noticed, but right before the fire alarm activated, I sensed a major rush of PSI in the left corridor._ Ninten looked stunned, and Ness hurried forth bluntly._ I tried using telepathy, but with the sudden influx of students evacuating, I couldn't find out who was responsible. But there was a giant scorch mark on one of the fire alarm bells. Someone used PSI - deliberately or accidentally - to set off the alarm. And that's not all, _He added to Ninten's exclamation of alarm. _Shortly afterwards, I felt several rapid pulses of PSI right outside the school. When I teleported there to check it out, there was no one there, but I saw some fresh signs of a struggle. __But the PSI signatures outside were different from whoever set off the fire alarm._

Ninten looked stunned. _Why would someone set off the fire alarm?_

_That's what I'd like to know._

_Actually, I'm not surprised I didn't sense anything__. I was too busy trying to open the lock to scan the area. _He shuddered. _Ness, Professor Giygas knows! He knows I can use PSI!_

_What?!_

Before he could continue though, a flash of red hair suddenly caught his eye. "Claus?!" Ninten suddenly blurted out incredulously. "I didn't know you came to the dance!"

The ginger actually flinched back at Ninten's shout, before realizing who had spoken. "Oh. It's you," he muttered, averting his eyes. Ness noticed a slight tremor in his voice.

In a second, Lucas flanked his brother's side with equally sooty hair. The blond laughed weakly. "I guess we won't be going to anymore parties anytime soon," he joked feebly.

Ness frowned. Was it just his imagination or did Claus look strangely guilty? The twins did look a little shaken up...but then again, no one had expected a fire to bloom in the middle of the Halloween Dance.

"Glad to know that you guys made it out in one piece," Ness said sincerely.

"Likewise," Lucas stared at his shoes. "I just hope nobody was hurt," he said quietly. Oddly enough, Claus said nothing to reassure his brother, but stood glumly in silence.

Suddenly a huge commotion erupted in front of them. As sobbing parents took away their children home, the four boys noticed that the police suddenly seemed to engage in a flurry of activity, questioning the teachers. Several of the teens looked horrified, and some of the girls started to cry openly at the ruckus.

"W-What's going on?" Ness interrupted, eyes widening as the adults began pushing everyone outside. "Why are we doing roll call again?"

"You guys didn't hear?" Jeff's eyes widened. When the four of them shook their heads, Jeff grimly pushed up his glasses.

"Poo and Ana are missing."

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

Ninten played with his food, feeling queasy._ First Paula, now Poo and Ana... _

Luckily no one else was injured in the fire. It was too early to confirm, but Ness had confided his suspicions that Poo and Ana had not been killed by the fire. As if to prove his point, police dogs confirmed that the two students had made their way outside the school before the fire erupted, but from there, the police could find no sign of them. Ana and Poo had completely vanished without a trace. Now Ninten finally understood the anxiety that Ness had felt when Paula went missing. Just thinking about Ana's shy smile made him want to throw up in worry.

But surprisingly, Poo's fearful face haunted his mind most. He had definitely known something Ninten and Ness had not, and now it was too late to ask him. Guilt pooled up inside Ninten. He might not have been as close to Poo as Ness had been, but the Dalaam boy had always been nothing but polite and kind to him.

He wondered how Ness was handling the sudden loss of two childhood friends.

And as if the drama of the Halloween Dance wasn't enough to worry about, Ninten had apparently forgotten that his parents were planning to visit his mother's family for dinner that night.

_"Ninten! Hurry up and get dressed!"_

_"Whyyyyyyyyyyyy?!" Ninten whined. He flopped onto the couch, completely drained. His gut roiled at the thought of what had happened at the dance. All he wanted to do now was retire to his room, and read the stolen document he had immediately stuffed into his closet once he arrived home. _

_His mother's voice hollered again from the kitchen. __"We're going to your grandparents' house for dinner today! We've been telling you and the twins every day for the past week." _

_Mimmie flounced past giggling at Ninten's blank expression. __"Ninten never remembers everything except Oreos, mom."_

_"Shut up," he scowled back._

_"Don't take that attitude with your sisters, young man," his father rumbled, shutting the door behind him. Mimmie stuck out her tongue behind her father's back and pranced away to talk to her sister. "Go upstairs and dress. You'd better look smart in ten minutes."_

_"Fine," Ninten sulked sullenly._

_His mother's expression softened to a look of sympathy. "I know we're asking a lot of you, Ninten," she said quietly. "And I'm sorry to hear that two of your friends are missing. But we rarely have time to visit your great grandfather, and he's always been so lonely after Maria passed away."_

And that was why Ninten found himself dressed in an uncomfortably tight-collared suit, sitting idly at the dinner table.

On the contrary, Ninten loved his great grandparents. Great-grandad George was light-hearted and loved punny humor. Ninten still had fond memories of his great-grandmother Maria, who had passed away when he had turned eight. There were moments Ninten sorely missed her: everything from her warm hugs that promised safety, to her homemade chocolate chip cookies that melted in his mouth and generally made everything happier. Although she left a homemade recipe behind, the cookies never tasted as sweet after her absence.

He was brought back to earth when George abruptly spoke to his mother. "-I have good news! Your brother is joining us for dinner today."

Ninten's father paled. "Oh no."

"...Huh," Ninten's mother paused. "That's new."

"B-But-" The poor husband sputtered. "H-He hates me!"

"My brother's not that bad...," His mother chuckled. "He's just a little..._overprotective_."

Ninten laughed at the horror-stricken face his father was sporting, but at the same time, he secretly wondered. He had never seen his uncle in person before. "...My uncle?"

"As yes, Ninten. Your uncle used to be such sweet boy. Raised him along with your mother over there. Your grandparents were such irresponsible folk." George nodded towards his mother, who was now rebuking Mimmie and Minnie not to blow bubbles in their drinks. "In fact, your uncle was _very_ fond of Maria, just like you were, but ever since...well, since Maria died, he's become very withdrawn. We lost touch," George frowned. "In fact, it's a pleasant surprise to know that he's dropping by to visit. I think you two will get along quite well."

The doorbell rang.

"Ahh, that must be him! Ninten, could you...?"

"Sure." Ninten stood up, and walked over to the doorway. In one swift motion, he unlocked the chain and tugged on the bronze door handle. The door easily swung open, revealing an unexpected, but very familiar face.

"Hello, Ninten," Professor Giygas said wryly, standing on the porch with a cool smile gracing his lips.

Ninten paled in shock.

_Oh, shit._


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note:**

**Hello again after two weeks! :)**

**I guess some of you are wondering if I accidentally posted chapter 10 and 11. The chapter just had too much content to stomach, so I split it into two chapters.**** Plus if I only**** posted only half of the chapter, it'd end on a ridiculously stupid cliffhanger. I like drama, and I love cliffhangers as much as the next person, but stupid cut-offs are just...stupid. There we go. See, I can't even describe my intense frustration into _words-_**

**So I compromised and posted TWO chapters instead. That way, you can read at your own pace, and the story won't get abruptly cut off. Win-win for everyone. :)**

**...But wow. When I was r****eading your reactions to Chapter 9 in the reviews, I found it incredibly amusing how everyone flipped out when Giygas is revealed to be Ninten's uncle. It's also really funny because Giygas is technically Ninten's grandfather instead of his uncle, but the story flows better as is. I think Giygas would've blown his top by now if he was still teaching angsty teenage students Calculus until he turned like 80. xD Poor Giygas.**

**But I love creating plot twists! Mwahahaha...****Who knows what I'll do next? Maybe Miss Marshmallow is secretly Hinawa. Or Flint is Chuck Norris. Or Claus is going to get detention. Personally I'd bet on the second myself. ****Okay enough rambling and to your reviews (Chronological order as usual):**

**Guest: Thank you! I'm glad you like my story! On another note, I love my brain too (haha I do believe it comes in handy for studying for exams xD).**

**FalconerET: It's okay, I totally understand your frustration. Sometimes you know that the action/big reveal/angst is coming and you're like AHHH I WANT TO READ IT NOW...but then there's something called _plot_ that writers need to make. xD Don't worry, those boys are smart. They'll find out that they each have PSI...hopefully...eventually...maybe. And haha _perhaps_ Lucas's dreams are important...or they might be random fluff I decided to throw in. Who knows? :D And yes, I'm so EXCITED about SMASH 4! :'D Lucas is my main in Project M. Can't wait to try out that back air spike again; it looked beautiful in the trailer!**

**ConnorTheSpelingPro: Thanks! You know what, I _love_ being nitpicky. :) Nowadays I spend at least 48 hours+ on each chapter just to make sure I didn't forget anything, so I can totally relate (Man, I need a life). Personally, I think most of your issues were found in the earlier chapters (which I had already revamped because my writing style for some reason changed from drastically from last year's), but I'll try to be as clear as I can with the characters and who's speaking. :) I appreciate your input!**

**Cranky Sky: Thank you! :) I'm glad you like the Lucas-Claus interactions; for some reason, my writing ends up gravitating towards sibling-sibling fluff, friendship fluff, and/or painful angst. I think Claus is the hardest character for me to write though, because I don't want to make him a 100% sarcastic jerk (oops too late). He's certainly an interesting case. :)**

**NintenGirl9x: ...You guys are too nice to me...*Runs into corner and hides face* But I'm happy you like my chapters, even though I'm still an amateur writer. xD And yes, Giygas as Ninten's uncle has certainly complicated things beyond repair. In fact-*****Random person yanks me away before I can spoil the entire plot***

**KaguTheGreat: Thanks! You're right; the problem lies in bad timing. *Readers glare at me for causing unnecessary frustration* Sorry! The big realization will come soon, I promise! D: And yes, I can imagine how awkward dinner with Giygas is going to be...Ninten, BRACE YO SELF**

**OXYD: Trouble is coming, indeed. ;D LOTS of Trouble (with a capital T haha)**

**Guest: Hehehe my mind works in unpredictable ways...Anyways, I'm happy to hear that you thought that Chapter 9 was awesome! Action is always a nice break from all the angst, and I had so much fun writing that chapter. :) Funny enough, I got the idea of Lucas and Claus dressing up as each other based on what my friends actually did in school last year (and yes, they were twins): they swapped each other's jackets...And no one noticed. :( But I have heard of Ouran Highschool Host even though I don't know anime: two of my friends are die-hard fans. But to address your requests:**

**(1) An ordeal between Pokey and who? ;)**

**(2) Yes! Infact, I have already written several PK-filled battles (hooray more action), and each one will come at their respective plot points in time.**

**JustMeHi: No problem! And I'm sorry I scared you! D: That last chapter was rather brutal on the cliff-hangers. xD Yeah, Lucas seems to have an unusually large share of nightmares...which may or may not be addressed later. But seriously, I'm totally fine if you feel the urge to talk more. I found writing online intimidating when I first started Fanfiction, but the Mother fandom is generally very supportive. :) And definitely, I'll work hard on those future chapters! :D**

**A Polar Bear: Thanks! As one college student to another, I'll do my best to keep the story going. :)**

**[Insert appropriate Disclaimer here]**

* * *

><p>Ninten squirmed uncomfortably in his seat as if it was an extremely prickly cactus.<p>

Right after George had excused himself to check on the pot of simmering gravy and Ninten's mother had risen to fetch the silverware, not a single word had passed through Ninten's lips. Minnie and Mimmie, after regarding their strange uncle curiously, had pitter-pattered off into the living room to play with their dolls. On the other hand, Ninten's father looked as if he had swallowed an entire lemon. The business man feebly stammered out a a few words, drawing out weak conversation with the intimidating presence in the dwelling.

Feeling the urge to do _something_, Ninten half-heartedly swallowed a spoonful of mashed potatoes. The dry mush uncomfortably glued his tongue to the roof of his mouth. Clearing his throat to dislodge the stuck food, Ninten reluctantly interrupted the stony atmosphere.

"Can someone pass the ketchup?"

To his surprise, it was not his father, but Professor - no wait, _Uncle - _Giygas who wordlessly handed him the condiment bottle. For a split second as Giygas slid the ketchup across the table top, their had eyes met: chilly blue against surprised amber-brown. Then Ninten broke eye-contact by coughing and averting his gaze to his plate.

"...Thanks," Ninten managed to mutter, squirting the ketchup noisily onto his plate. In response Giygas gave a jerky nod before stiffly re-engaging his father about the woes of the stock market.

_Talk about awkward_.

Ninten glued his eyes to the ketchup bottle. Just thinking about being related to his supposedly evil Calculus teacher was utterly unbelievable. Scratch that: the idea was absolutely _suffocating._ The stuffy tension here was so palpable that Ninten wanted to bolt outside screaming like a little girl.

But then, he'd scare all the neighbors away, and his parents would probably lecture him that screaming at the dinner table was utterly barbaric and _blah blah blah_. So instead, Ninten entertained himself by imagining a flashing sign above Giygas with the words: "Beware! Possibly Evil Kidnapper Here."

How totally mature of him.

Fortunately, his mother and George re-emerged from the kitchen before he could think of anything else.

"Are you still grilling my husband on failing college economics again?" his mother joked, and Giygas actually lent her a soft, genuine smile. _Holy crap, he SMILED. _Ninten was sure a thousand babies died somewhere with that smile.

Okay, maybe he was exaggerating.

...A little.

"You know, sonny, I didn't know you were teaching Calculus at the local high school here," George commented, settling down comfortably in his cushioned, wooden chair. He frowned. "In fact, I don't recall you having much fondness for children at all."

"You'd be right." Giygas gave a thin smile. "I don't have much love for students, and teaching is certainly a challenge. But I love cracking challenges..." His eyes flickered to Ninten's face. "Ninten would know that very well."

"You two know each other?" George said, shocked. All eyes flew to Ninten, who was now tugging at his sweaty collar nervously.

"...He's my Calculus teacher," Ninten mumbled.

At his words, George actually _roared_ with laughter. His booming bark stunned him, but Ninten was struck with high incredulity when his mother suddenly rose to whack Giygas on the arm. She tutted in disapproval. "Gregory! Did you give my boy detention last month?!"

_Gregory? _

Giygas's smile quirked upwards. "I did."

"No wonder I couldn't tell it was you! Why did you change your name?" his mother demanded, but in a more playful, sibling-like manner. Her eyes were twinkling with that same mischievous spark like a five-year-old Ninten caught sneaking cookies from the cookie jar. Giygas actually looked genuinely amused, and Ninten observed how everyone around the table noticeably relaxed.

"I changed my name shortly after our grandmother's passing, if you remember quite well, sister."

"No, I don't." Ninten's mother said wryly. "We haven't heard a word of you since."

Giygas grimaced, and took a small sip of hot tea.

Ninten silently agreed with the name-changing decision. He tried hard to imagine the prospect:_ Professor Gregory_ didn't sound quite as intimidating as _Professor Giygas _did. _Gregory_ didn't have that exotic _ring_ to it, the same mysterious tone of..._despair_. Plus it just sounded plain wrong: calling Giygas "Gregory" was akin to naming a savage, man-eating wolf, "puppy."

"So what brings you here, Greg?" George asked curiously, albeit with a slight hint of disapproval. "You never responded to my calls before."

Ninten attentively snapped up his head, studying his uncle with heightened curiosity.

Giygas seemed to ignore Ninten's sudden bout of interest, helping himself to another serving of stir-fried soy noodles. "My work demands much of my time. Apart from teaching, I run a scientific facility at the base of Holy Loly Mountain. Our studies are _very_ sensitive to fluctuating conditions and may also impact the city with devastating consequences if gone wrong. My experiments are highly important to the study of life. I hope _you_ understand."

There was no doubt about it: there was a frigid edge to Giygas's voice, a strange bitterness that Ninten couldn't comprehend.

Clearly, there was some history between the two.

And it was bad.

George looked vastly uncomfortable, pausing with his hand over his napkin. "I...I suppose so."

"I'm glad," Giygas said pleasantly, even though he didn't sound very glad at all.

Ninten narrowed his eyes in suspicion. Two could play this game. "Drop the act. What do you _really _do there?"

In an instant, Giygas eyed him in amusement, as if Ninten were a cute kitten that had entangled itself in a soft spool of yarn. "My boy, I didn't know you were so interested in science. I was aware that you wanted to study law."

"Curiosity is not a sin," Ninten countered back calmly.

"...Very shrewd, Ninten," Giygas laughed softly, still looking amused. His eyebrows quirked upwards. "I can see why you would make an excellent lawyer." His uncle's eyes flickered over his mother's. "Careful, sis, I'm afraid your boy might try to sue me for assigning detention," he joked.

Everyone around the table laughed lightheartedly, and feeling like he was being toyed with, Ninten scowled, shoving his hands under the dinner table.

Giygas took another sip of tea, looking thoughtful. "Well, Ninten, to answer your question, you could say that my research projects deal with robotics," he remarked, shifting his gaze to his. "And I do have a rather avid interest in psychology." Giygas's mouth twitched slightly, as if they were sharing a private joke. "The power of the human mind is rather amazing, is it not?"

Ninten abruptly stood up. He had had enough of this pretending-to-be-nice bullshit. "May I please be excused?"

"Ninten!" His mother rebuked. "That is no way to treat your uncle!"

"I need to use the restroom really badly," he lied, making up an excuse on the spot. He avoided Giygas's burning eye contact.

George seemed confused, but nodded kindly. "Go ahead, my boy. Third door up on the stairs."

"Thanks," Ninten blurted out before he almost launched himself out of his seat, shooting up the stairs two at a time. _Giygas is up to something, I know it! There's no way someone as busy as him would come to an idle dinner like this if it wasn't important-_

The last of his mother's voice petered into the background. "I'm sorry, Greg; Ninten isn't normally this rude-"

Slamming the restroom door shut, Ninten slid down to the ground on trembling knees. The smooth tiled floor felt cool to the touch, and he shivered involuntarily. Ninten buried his head in his hands. _What's wrong with me? Giygas was at least trying to be civil...is it just me? Why do I feel so suspicious?_

_I need answers._

Flipping out his phone, Ninten paused, scrawling through his contacts. But who to call...?

He really wanted to consult Ness's advice. Heck, he even wished Lucas and Claus were here. They would probably offer a perfectly constructive argument, and Ninten desperately needed that logic right now, especially with his feelings scrambled all over the place.

Rather suddenly, the door knocked once in deep warning. Giygas slipped inside the bathroom, then shut it behind them with an an ominous click.

As if he had been shocked by electricity, Ninten jumped to his feet, alarm coursing through his veins. Warning bells rang through his head. "Stay back," the teen warned, readying a sparking finger at his Calculus teacher. "I don't know what trick you're trying to pull, but it's not going to fool me."

"This is no trick. Let us talk."

"No. Go a-away."

Ninten cursed internally._ Dammit, my knees are shaking so hard I can barely even stand. _Giygas could simply poke him in the shoulder, and Ninten was sure he'd keel over onto the floor without resistance. He eyed the space between Giygas and the open doorway. _If I distract him long enough, maybe I could slip back downstairs..._

But to his surprise, Giygas ignored his threat and only walked closer. The man must've either been really brave or really stupid. "Ninten," Giygas addressed, flashing him a cold, calculating stare. "I will be very blunt with you."

_Oh no, here comes the confrontation-_

"Have you seen any _Starmen_ on the loose lately?"

That was the last question Ninten had been expecting. "Wait, what?" Ninten's breath hitched in confusion. "I don't understand-"

"Starmen. Silver humanoid robots? Often resistant to PSI?" When Ninten continued to stare back blankly, Giygas glowered in frustrated. "And for heaven's sake, lower your arm before you blow something up!"

"Why do _you_ want to know if I've seen any robots on the loose?" Ninten snapped back, clenching his other fist. He refused to lower his guard; the sparking finger stayed.

"These robots are kidnapping PSI users."

Ninten narrowed his eyes into a thunderous scowl. "Are you threatening me?"

Genuinely surprised, Giygas halted, taken aback by his response. The composed man studied his nephew's suspicious glare, and with each passing second, the amused smirk had grown back onto his face. "...You think I'm behind this."

Ninten said nothing to confirm the statement, only choosing to glare back defiantly.

"Well, I can't say that I'm not surprised. I suppose my conduct towards you hasn't been particularly pleasant," Giygas said wryly.

_You think?_

Giygas chuckled, and Ninten realized that he had been thinking out loud. "Fair enough. Have it your way, Ninten: I will tell you the truth and only the truth, and you can do whatever you wish to make of it." Giygas met his eyes. "After all, that is what a good lawyer does, does he not?"

"It'd better be convincing," Ninten said, wary eyes never leaving his uncle's form.

"Very well. Convincing it shall be." Giygas cleared his throat. "Recently, someone stole one of my newer projects. _Project Starman_ to be more precise." Giygas scowled at the bathroom sink. "The project installed a newly-developed sensor into the robot. This sensor can detect energy fluctuations in the surrounding environment. All within a small radius, of course."

Ninten hesitated. "Can the sensor detect...telepathy?"

"You're thinking two steps ahead. As usual." Giygas's lips curled into a smile. "No, it cannot. The sensors are _ENERGY_-sensitive, and CANNOT sense your mental activity. However, if you _USE_ PSI...may heaven help your soul." A shadow shrouded Gigyas's face. "Using PSI creates a disturbance, releasing energy into the environment. The sensor can detect this energy flow. And that is where the problem lies: someone has recently stolen these blueprints. I imagine that whoever it is has tweaked the _Starmen _to track down PSI users with that very energy sensor."

His blood ran cold. Ninten lowered his finger. "Ness was attacked..." he whispered before he could catch himself.

Giygas nodded. "Possibly so. If any of your friends know PSI, then they are at high risk for capture."

"Is that what happened to Paula, Ana, and Poo?"

"My answer is not definitive, but if I had to hazard a guess...then yes. Some megalomaniac has kidnapped your friends."

"YOU KNEW?! Then why haven't you done anything to help?" Ninten spat, suddenly seizing the collar of his shirt and yanking Giygas down to his face. "Where are they? Who's responsible?!"

Giygas's eyes flashed coolly. "What do you think I've been doing for the past few months? It's difficult enough to conduct research as is, and it's incredibly hard to stay undercover as a PSI user myself." To Ninten's stunned astonishment, Giygas snapped his fingers, and a holographic shimmer of cosmic black pentagons swam around the room before dissolving into obsidian-like sparkles. "By the by, raising your temper at me won't do you any good."

Ninten resisted the urge to snap back, grudgingly admitting that Giygas was right. The teen released his iron grip on his Calculus teacher. "...Sorry."

Straightening his back, Giygas gave a weak excuse for a smile. "I think I deserved that. Take it as revenge for the detention I gave you."

"Why are you being so _nice_ to me all the sudden?" Ninten burst out angrily. "No one can change _that_ easily! Face it, Giygas, you've hated me since the start of school and now-"

"You are mistaken. I've never hated you at all, Ninten."

Ninten gaped, struck dumb by the totally unexpected response.

_Wat._

_Did he just-?_

_I thought he HATED my guts!_

Clearly uncomfortable, Giygas shifted in place. "I'm not very good with feelings, Ninten, and I generally tend to loathe students even though I enjoy teaching," he admitted. "But there is one thing you've forgotten: you're my sister's son. Blood holds tighter ties than you would expect...than _I_ would have expected..."

_That didn't stop you from bullying me like there was no tomorrow. _Ninten thought, recalling all those dress code violations Giygas had assigned him for stupid reasons.

"I wanted to push you beyond your limits," Giygas continued, ignoring his clear look of skepticism. The man paused, lost in thought, and tapped a finger against his temple. "There was something about you I could not explain...I should have been mad at the witty puns and jokes you cracked, but at the same time, I could not help but feel a strange sense of pride..."

Giygas's gaze softened by a fraction. "All the other teachers adored you, but I wanted to be an obstacle, a challenge you needed to overcome. I wanted you to succeed in life, because it is a bumpy road of challenges. If you could endure my constant criticism without losing yourself in the process, then I was so sure you could conquer anything." Giygas laughed bitterly. "Now that you mention it, it is a strange way of showing affection, and I do apologize if you did not regard it as such."

Ninten was thoroughly stumped. Several thoughts flashed through his mind like bullets in rapid succession.

First: _Giygas cares for me?!_

And: _Wow...he REALLY has serious social issues. I guess that's what you get when you seclude yourself in a research facility at the base of some mountain._

Then: _Giygas cares for me?!_

Ninten blinked. Slowly he mustered his courage, carefully studying the intimidating man in front of him for the very first time. Giygas _looked_ the same: cold, icy eyes stared back, daring him to challenge his pride. But this time, there was something else: underlying worry and genuine concern replaced the cold apathy that dwelled in those blue irises.

No one could ever fake that look.

Now Ninten felt like the world's biggest prick. Here he was, thinking that Giygas was some criminal mastermind, when all along, what he had pegged as "intimidating" and "unapproachable" had merely been a result of social ineptitude.

"Giygas..." Ninten swallowed hard, looking down at his shoes in shame. He still wasn't comfortable with calling his Calculus professor, _Uncle_. Not yet, at least. "I guess I was wrong. I thought..."

"No offense taken," Giygas said gently. "Anyone else would've done the same in your shoes."

There was an awkward silence that followed.

Then Giygas coughed once, and his usual cool composure was back on his face. "On a side note, while I haven't tracked down the culprit, I believe I know why this person is kidnapping PSI users."

"You do?!" Ninten exclaimed, bolting up in alarm. _So much for a normal dinner party. I learned a lot more the past hour than everything in school combined._

"Yes, I do." Giygas took out a cellphone, scrawling down some sort of text Ninten could not decipher. "Bear with me for a brief history lesson. According to several ancient artifacts, every once in a while, there existed a PSI user with an incredibly powerful PSI core. Only this special person could use the fabled PSI move, "PK Love." Giygas read out loud, "_He with the power of true selfless desire can instill life in death, peace in violence, and unity in separation. _A rather crude and exaggerated translation, I'm afraid."

"I think George might have told me this story when I was younger," Ninten said slowly. "He said that PK Love was one of the most strongest signature PSI moves-"

"Ah, but according to legend, PK Love was not just any offensive move." Giygas's blue eyes met his. "It is a psychic power that far overpowers any other, because it is fueled by BOTH the brain AND the heart. The bearer has a PSI core TWICE the size of any normal psychic. "

"That's ridiculous!" Ninten blurted out, unable to restrain himself. He vaguely remembered the loud buzzing sound he had occasionally caught in school for the past week. If the humming of that powerful PSI core could drone out the others so easily, then whoever it was held an extremely enormous amount of energy in their arsenal. It was a scary thought. "One person can't be that powerful!"

Giygas nodded. "It's hard to believe, but my sources indicate otherwise." He jabbed a finger into the air to emphasize his point. "However it does have a single drawback: unlike other PSI abilities, PK Love is supposedly the most difficult to master because it's incredibly sensitive to the user's emotional state. As obvious as it sounds, it makes sense: Love is proven to be the strongest motivational force in the world. Love of family, love of self, love for a cause...this deep desire is what allow the PK Love user to outstrip others in raw PSI."

"So you think our culprit is looking for this PK Love user just to access this large PSI core?" Ninten asked, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Correct."

"Is that why he's been kidnapping students from school?"

"Or she," Giygas corrected. "But yes, that is my guess. The culprit is kidnapping students who show any sign of PSI, hoping that one of them can use PK Love. But if it's any consolation, I think that so far, none of the kidnapped students were able to use PK Love. Furthermore, the culprit won't kill them just yet; it would only draw more attention than desired."

"Why high school students?" Ninten squinted at Giygas worriedly. "Are we easier to pick off?"

"Easier to pick off?" Giygas laughed. "By Maria, I hope not. PSI is a generation-skipping-power, and as you can see, I'm clearly an odd case. As far as I know, I'm the only PSI user _not_ in your age group."

"Makes sense. So how do we catch the culprit?"

Giygas looked highly uncomfortable. "Ninten, this is a very _dangerous_ situation with a high risk of injury. I will handle it on my own. In the meantime, you will have no part in it-"

"No!" Ninten looked up stubbornly. "I want to help."

Giygas sighed. "I suppose I can't stop you."

As if on cue, George's alarmed voice hollered from below the stairs. "Is everything all right up there?!"

"We're fine!" Giygas smoothly responded. "Ninten and I were just having a little chat."

"GREG, STOP GRILLING MY SON!" Giygas stifled a smirk at his younger sister's comical yelling. "First you bully my husband, and now you're bullying my own baby boy! Oooh, you'd hope that I'm not coming up the stairs right this instant, mister-"

"I'm perfectly fine, mom!" Ninten yelped, flustering from embarrassment. It didn't help that Giygas still looked relatively amused.

"Go. Let us return to the dinner table before your mother starts hounding after me with a pitchfork."

Ninten laughed. "All right, but you still owe me answers!_"_

Giygas paused. An uncharacteristically solemn look shadowed his face. "Be careful, Ninten. I would hate anything to happen to you because of any foolishness on your own behalf."

"Foolishness on _my_ own behalf?" Ninten couldn't help but sneak in a cheeky smile at that. "I think you should be telling yourself that, _Uncle_."

To his surprise, Giygas suddenly froze, stiffening up by the doorway. Ninten managed to halt in time before he could plow into his back.

"Uh...?"

"You act so much like her," the man spoke in an oddly sentimental voice. "Had she been alive...she would have been so proud of you..."

Ninten only stared back in confusion. "Who?"

"...Maria."

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~oO0Oo~

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The voice was not happy.

Pokey trembled in anticipation, hoping that he had succeeded, desperately wishing that his nightmare would finally be over-

_"__P__okey. I'm afraid to say that Ness's life is still on the line." _

The dreaded confirmation rasped through the headphones, crackling through his ears, and Pokey gulped in trepidation.

"B-But this afternoon! The Halloween dance!" he stuttered shakily. "I lured two of them into your ambush! That's got to be good enough, r-right?"

_"None of the subjects that you've brought me can perform PK Love."_

Pokey shook his head violently. "Y-You can't do this! This is insane!" he yelled in despair, pointing an accusatory finger at the screen. "You're lying to me again! Y-You're just going to take everyone I love away from me, I know you are!"

_"Now, Pokey, that is a serious accusation...since when did you grow a conscience? A heart without a spine is of little use. Pray tell, when was the last time you even talked to your little brother?"_

"...You...bastard..." Pokey managed to grit out.

_"If you cooperate, I might extend your deadline. You have two more days left." _The menacing glower made Pokey shudder in fear. "_So make the best of it."_

"-Wait! WAIT! PLEASE!" Pokey cried out before the screen could fizzle out. "I still know someone else who can use PSI!"

A pause.

"_I'm listening._"

Despite his panicked desperation, a sense of sadistic glee filled Pokey as he thought of his next target. He could easily imagine the hated boy in front of his eyes: the stupid ginger cow lick, the infuriating smirk, the absolutely sickening-sweet way he protectively hovered over his younger twin that made Pokey want to throw up in disgust. "This is for real! I saw him set off the fire alarm!"

Another pause._ "Interesting. And who might that be?"_

_"_A student at school. His name is Claus."


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note:**

**WARNINGWARNINGWARNING**

**Sorry, I had to attract your attention. I posted both chapter 10 and 11 up at the same time, so if you haven't read Chapter 10, YOU WILL BE EXTREMELY BEFUDDLED!**

**You did? Oh, okay, read on.**

**[Insert appropriate disclaimer here]**

* * *

><p>"...I just don't understand, Ness," Ninten said, rubbing his eyes. The two boys were hanging out by the left wing of the courtyard; no one ever ventured this way. Ninten reopened the crumpled paper. Disjointed words and letters floated around in front of his eyes. "This makes no sense at all."<p>

Ness leaned over curiously. "Here, let me take a look."

Ninten shifted over the document they had filched from Giygas's desk (oddly enough, he couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt for stealing his uncle's stuff). They read the cryptic note together:

_**Week of October 31st**_

_Command Input: 16111215225_

_For[161515, 1141;_

_10, 16:00]_

_Command Input: __16111215225_

_For[1461919;_

_108, 14:30]_

"Huh. I think it actually looks like a programming code of some sort," Ness said, scratching his head thoughtfully.

"...Of course!" Ninten greedily snatched the paper back. "What does it say?!"

Ness frowned. "The code matches nothing like I've ever seen before," he said slowly.

_Crap._

"-and Claus takes computer science, not me, remember?" Ness finished.

_Double crap. _"Right," Ninten said, heart sinking like a stone. He stared glumly at the stupid piece of paper. "I can't believe it. The one time we have a computer code to crack, we can't even consult our local robotics genius." He raised an eyebrow hopefully at Ness. "Well, we _could_ ask him-"

"No," Ness said flatly. "I'm not bringing Lucas and Claus into this. We're on our own."

"But it's just ONE document!"

"Ninten, what if it's a lot more serious than that? What if they start asking questions?" Violet eyes stubbornly glared into his own orbs. "They might get into serious trouble _because_ of us! Poo, Paula, and Ana were already targeted," Ness croaked in a somewhat strangled voice. "I knew that Paula could use PSI, so Poo and Ana must have been able to use it too. Either that, or they knew too much." Ness shuddered. "We can't lose Lucas and Claus too. We just _can't_."

A pang of guilt crossed Ninten's features when he thought about his missing friends, and he forced a laugh. "Well, maybe we should ask Claus if we can't figure it out. Without him knowing."

Ness looked frustrated. "We don't have time for waiting! If the other side finds the PK Love user _first...!"_

"Okay, I get it, Ness. Calm down." Ninten shifted uncomfortably, switching to telepathy.

_We have two more days until the blackmail deadline...you might be next, Ness._

However, the unspoken thought only served to spur Ness's determination; if the baseball captain felt any fear, he was careful not to show it.

"We can do it. I know we can. Two days is still a lot of time," Ness insisted, increasing Ninten's respect for his friend; few things in the world could stop a determined Ness. The baseball captain thoughtfully crossed his arms. "Okay, let's recount. We know _for sure _that PK Love user set off the fire alarm at the Halloween Dance. Do we have any other leads?"

Ninten closed his eyes, then shook his head in defeat. "I've tried searching for a match to that PSI signature you caught in your memories, but I think the signal's distorted."

"Distorted...how?"

"It's weird, because I sometimes feel it in _two_ completely different places at once."

"...That makes no sense."

"I know it doesn't! There's only ONE PK Love user, not two! THIS MAKES NO SENSE!" Ninten rubbed his eyes. This PSI tracking was seriously taking its toll on his energy.

Ness shook his head in bewilderment. "Maybe someone split their PSI core in half," he suggested hopefully.

"Impossible. Cutting your frickin' PSI core in half? That's like destroying a generator and still expecting electricity to run!"

"So, no go?"

"No go."

"Well, darn."

Equally exasperated, Ninten threw his hands up into the air. "You know, if you ask me, I'd have thought that the PSI user _cloned_ themselves or something!"

Somehow, Ness didn't look undeterred, managing to force a weak smile. "We'll find a logical reason. Just...focus on honing in on both trails before Giygas does, okay?"

"Well...about _that_..." Ninten fidgeted in place. "Ness, I've been thinking and..."

"...Yeah?" Ness said slowly, not liking where this conversation was heading.

Ninten shook his head. "I think I was wrong about Giygas," he finished lamely. "I'm almost 99.9% sure that we've framed the wrong person."

_...Ninten, I don't catch your drift,_ Ness finally stated, his eyes burning like fire._ Explain._

_I just don't think he's responsible for this. _Ninten averted his eyes. _Maybe we've been looking in the wrong place. Maybe we should set our sights on someone else for once, you know; turn a fresh leaf and-_

_Giygas sealed his desk with PSI, _Ness said flatly. _He has to be a PSI user. And innocent people don't seal random bits of code inside desk drawers with PSI, Ninten._

_Well, maybe he just doesn't want people to judge him for liking robotics! _Ninten snapped defensively.

Ness halted, then narrowed his eyes. _Ninten, if Giygas can program robots, that's a pretty clear sign that he's behind this._ A concerned look._ What happened to you yesterday? You weren't all defensive over Giygas back at the Halloween Dance!_

_...I told you. I had dinner with George. End of Story._

_You're still not telling me something-_

"You've got to be kidding me, Lucas!"

Both Ninten and Ness whirled around in surprise at the familiar outburst. Nearby, Claus and Lucas were conversing loudly. Both twins looked mildly upset over something, and Lucas had actually thrown up his arms into the air in frustration.

"Claus, I'm not saying that I trust him," Lucas pointed out. "But it's clear that he needs help-"

"Who needs help?" Ness asked curiously.

Immediately both twins jumped. Apparently, they had not realized Ninten and Ness had been close by. For a split second, Lucas and Claus shared a troubled look before the latter caved in with a scowl.

"Pokey, that's who," Claus muttered darkly. He jabbed a thumb at his brother. "I don't know why Lucas is so darn sympathetic over him, but he thinks Pokey's in _trouble_ or something stupid."

"It's not stupid!"

The ginger glowered. "Lucas, he literally just barreled over and pinned you to the bathroom stall _five seconds ago_. I don't know what sob story he sold you two months ago, but considering you were about to be pummeled every inch of your life, I'm pretty sure he's okay." Despite his anger, Claus's face turned a pallid shade of white. "Worry about yourself for once."

"He WHAT?!" Ninten shouted in shock. "I'm with Claus on this one, Lucas; you should report him or something...!"

Lucas looked rather uncomfortable. "I know it's hard to believe," he mumbled. "But when he talked to me a few seconds ago-"

"-more like _shoved you into a wall __and tried to punch your face in_," Claus interrupted unsympathetically.

"He sounded like he was dealing with a lot of pressure," Lucas finished, ignoring his brother's snide comment.

"He was acting way creepier than usual too," Claus added. He immediately thought of that slow, vengeful smirk Pokey had specifically thrown at the ginger. _I know more than you think, _his small, piggy eyes had seemed to say. For some reason, that malicious grin had chilled Claus to the bone.

"...That too," Lucas reluctantly conceded.

Between Claus's unconvinced face and Ninten's scowling one, Ness threw him an understanding look. With that look, Lucas was sure only the two of them had an inkling about Pokey's unpleasant family life.

"Like I might have mentioned earlier, Pokey does have a hard family life, Lucas," Ness said quietly. Self-loathing and guilt were clearly evident in his eyes. "But he has no right to bully you around. If he weren't so mad at me, I'm sure he wouldn't have picked on you in the first place." Ness hesitated, and violet eyes raked over his face. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Ness. It's not your fault." Lucas's eyes softened, glad that someone had at least tried to understand.

"If Pokey bullies you again, then I'll go talk to him and see if something _is_ bothering him. Or at least, I'll try to convince him to stop the bullying again," Ness said firmly, drawing a finger across his chest. "I swear. Cross my heart and hope to die."

Lucas's face brightened up considerably in gratitude, and Ness ruffled his hair, making the other boy whine. "Oh, not you too, Ness!" Lucas protested, and Ness threw him a mischievous grin.

Shaking his head, Ninten watched their exchange with incredulous eyes. "Dude, I swear that those two _never_ argue with each other. It's so scary sometimes." As the two playfully began to romp around, his initial flare of indignant anger quickly faded at the sound of their infectious laughter. With a grin, he elbowed a disgruntled-looking Claus in the ribs. "Watch your back, Claus. I think someone might be out to steal your place as 'Big Brother'," he joked.

The annoyed ginger grunted, yanking his brother back. "C'mon, lovebirds, we need to go to class."

Ness's good humor didn't seem to be affected at all by Claus's sarcastic remark. "Right-o, Claus. To Calc class we go!" Ness announced boisterously in glee. Seizing the the blond by the arm, Ness raced ahead, dragging a laughing Lucas down the hallway.

There was an awkward silence.

"...What?" Claus finally said sullenly at Ninten's trying-not-to-laugh-but-awfully-failing-to face.

Ninten beamed, poking him in the shoulder. "Someone's _jealous~_" he sang in an annoyingly teasing tone.

"Shut up, Ninten," Claus snapped rudely, striding after his two friends.

Ninten snorted in amusement, taking no offense to Claus's usually blunt comments, and followed him into the classroom.

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~oO0Oo~

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.

The din of chatter immediately ceased when Professor Giygas entered the classroom, clouded in his deadly I-will-not-hesitate-to-expel-you aura. He slammed the Calculus I textbook briskly onto the desk, then coolly surveyed the deathly silent room.

At this, Ninten couldn't help but roll his eyes. Giygas might've been intimidating, but now, he was just acting ridiculously over-dramatic. _I guess it runs through the family..._

"Before we delve into some _simple _Related Rates problems-" The entire class groaned. Giygas's problems were anything _but_ simple. "Quiet!" the surly teacher snapped. He was clearly in a sour mood. "I am under mandatory advisement by the office to - ah, yes - tell you brats not to wander off alone. Apparently, additional security measures will be added to the school because none of you are perfectly capable of crossing the street without getting yourselves kidnapped."

Despite the heavy situation, Ninten barely held back the urge to laugh. _Had Giygas always had such a sarcastic sense of humor?_ But he seemed to be the only one thinking this way. He stole a quick glimpse at this friends's varying reactions. To his right, Lucas had a wary expression etched on his face, while Claus merely looked bored with a mask of indifference. On the other hand, Ninten could feel Ness's frustration simmering in at the thought of more rules to follow.

Giygas scowled. "But if one of you foolishly goes missing again, the school will be shut down for private investigation."

Excited voices rose in volume.

"That's enough," he snapped. "That will not mean you are all exempt from homework! We will most likely be relocated into Twinkle Elementary. Homework and exams will stay scheduled as planned. So don't even _think_ about skimping out on taking the AP Calculus AB exam." Giygas glowered at them with icy eyes. "Questions?"

Everyone was too scared to even make a peep.

"Good." The Calculus teacher flicked his textbook open before facing the blackboard. "I will do a sample problem on the board. Turn to page 489, Question 3, in the Chapter 5 Review-"

_Claus. _

The ginger jerked up before recognizing his brother's voice. W_hat is it, Lucas?_

_Can I borrow your calculator?_ A ripple of embarrassment._ I can't solve Question 4 without it..._

Claus immediately understood. In the beginning of every class, Giygas inscribed the homework due the next day on the blackboard. The twins were pretty competent when it came to math, but Lucas, always stubbornly studious, would start finishing homework in class along with the mandatory sample problems Giygas had assigned.

_Sure. I'm not using it anyway. _Claus rolled his eyes as he handed his calculator over. _You know, I don't understand why you do homework in class. There's a reason it's called "homework," Lucas._

_You're just too lazy to start on it now. _Lucas's half-attentive response came, along with the random feed of numbers blurring through his mind from whatever the hell question 4 was. _It really doesn't take that long..._

_I know. _Claus smirked. He casually leaned against his desk amidst Giygas's droning. _That's why I procrastinate. Why should I start on an assignment that takes less than 30 minutes to finish in class when I can easily do it at home?_

_Not everyone is lucky to have your intuition for math and physics, Claus._

Claus's smirk widened. _C'mon, now you're just making excuses. Who got that perfect score in our last exam?_

_But I did worse than you on our first exam, _Lucas pointed out. _So technically you have a better grade in Calculus. Besides, I need to make sure I don't fall behind-_

_I don't think a 95% is considered "falling behind," Lucas._

_...Claus! _Lucas's warning rang in his head.

"-think I'll call on you, Claus. You look like you're done with my sample problem," Giygas said smoothly. His beady eyes sternly fixated themselves on the ginger.

It wasn't an unusual routine; Giygas more than often called upon students to share an answer to his sample questions in class. The Professor would then take sadistic pleasure in watching his victim fidget nervously under his gaze. If the answer was correct, Giygas would wordlessly move on to the next question and leave the relieved student alone. If not, well...the poor soul should expect additional homework and a devastating blow to their ego.

To no one's surprise, Ninten was often the "poor soul." While he was clearly a bright student, the Podunk boy absolutely loathed Calculus and struggled to grasp its concepts. This fact coupled along with Giygas's general hatred of him made the poor boy an easy target. Fortunately, Ninten was never one to shrink back from a mistake, and generally took it all into cheerful stride.

Claus would have usually finished the sample question in a heartbeat. However, he had been so absorbed in "speaking" with Lucas that he had forgotten to complete the sample problem on the board.

_...Crap._

_It's forty-two, _Lucas whispered in his head.

"Forty-two," Claus said out loud, mentally thanking Lucas, who sounded awfully guilty for distracting him.

Giygas, however, studied the ginger with a calculating look. "Where is your work, Claus?"

There were several gasps in the background. Claus bit back his astonishment (at the same time, he felt Lucas's alarm prickle his head). _Since when did Giygas start asking for work__? He normally asks us how we got our answer, but he's never blatantly ordered us to show proof. _

However, Claus smoothly composed himself. "I didn't write my work down, but I can explain how I got my answer." Without skipping a beat, he explained the entire problem on the board with ease, taking care to note all the miscellaneous information Giygas had sneakily added. As he spoke, Claus felt the class's general respect for him rise; it was universally difficult to keep composure in the face of Giygas's intimidating frown. Finally, Claus concluded his long, detailed explanation. "-and calculating the variables, you end up with 42 m/s."

Giygas looked at him with an amused look. "Very impressive, Claus. You are indeed correct." The knot in Claus's stomach relaxed. "However-" Giygas added, making Claus tense in anticipation again. "While your methodology is accurate, this question is impossible without the aid of a calculator, and you have no calculator on your desk..."

Giygas's eyes raked over the ginger's face slowly. Claus swallowed hard. _Oh shit, how am I supposed to explain this? _

Suddenly, Lucas abruptly raised his hand. "Professor?"

_Lucas, put your hand back down! _Claus shouted in alarm, but his younger brother made no motion to sit still.

In the corner of his eye, Claus saw several students whispering. Ninten and Ness turned to him in surprise. _What the heck is going on, Claus? _Ninten mouthed.

Giygas only looked amused. "Yes, Lucas?"

"Right after Claus finished question 3, I borrowed his calculator to solve some problems," Lucas said firmly, meeting his gaze steadily.

"Is that so?" Lucas now bore the full brunt of Giygas's piercing stare. "What kinds of problems were you working on?"

"Your homework problems due tomorrow, sir."

"Not paying in class, are we, Lucas?" Giygas pressed coolly.

"I already finished question 3," Lucas said quietly. "I always finish every problem you give in class, Professor. And earlier in the year you said it was okay to-"

"That's quite enough, Lucas," the Calculus teacher cut in casually. His stare turned flinty. "Are you so arrogant to presume that you don't have to listen to my lecture like everyone else?"

"No, Professor! I meant-"

Giygas tutted. "Not paying attention...no wonder you were hit by a passing truck."

All the blood drained out of Lucas's face. The poor boy looked absolutely mortified, as if he wanted to sink into his chair and dissolve into nothing.

Claus could stand it no longer. "You leave him alone!" He spat out angrily. "Lucas has always done your homework in class, and you even said that you had no problem with it!"

By this point, the entire class was staring incredulously at the two twins. It wasn't highly unusual for Giygas to pressure a student in this way, but Lucas had never been called out before. To top that, nobody had ever dared to speak against the teacher since Ninten's explosive outburst. Things weren't going to end well.

There was an awful silence. Then-

"Claus, detention," Giygas smoothly announced. Lucas threw Claus a frightened look, and the Calculus teacher frowned down at them. "It pains me to give my top student such a misdemeanor, but this has gone too far. I hope detention will serve you two a reminder to come prepared, and to _not_ talk back to a teacher on how to run the class."

"Giygas, please!" Ninten beseeched from the back of the classroom. Brown eyes looked into his pleadingly. "They didn't do anything wrong!"

Giygas paused, seeming to waver slightly...then the cool expression was back. "Ninten, unless if you want detention as well, I suggest that you sit silently without question. Favoritism has no place in the classroom."

The Professor swept back towards the front of the class. "Now returning to the blackboard..."

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~oO0Oo~

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Immediately after Calculus had ended, Lucas had swiftly packed up his bag and darted out of the room, hiding his face. Claus, Ness, and Ninten all exchanged worried glances, but none of them had Art with him next class: Claus was heading to Computer Science, Ninten to Standard Freshman Writing, and Ness to History.

Throughout the entire lecture, Claus had impatiently tapped his fingers on his desk, already bored with the basic C++ terminology the teacher was reviewing in class. Worry for his brother filled him, and he had mentally tried reaching out to Lucas's mind.

But to his sheer frustration, Claus found nothing but emptiness. The art gallery was located on the other wing of the school from the computer labs: Lucas was out of his telepathic range.

Finally, he reluctantly decided to fix his gaze on the the minute's hand of the clock. It moved in an agonizingly slow fashion amidst the teacher's droning. When the last minute slowly ticked to a finish and the bell rang for lunch, Claus wasted no time and immediately raced out of the classroom to find his brother. Lucas was in an incredibly vulnerable state right now, and there was no knowing what Pokey would do if he bumped into his brother again.

Fortunately, he caught hold of his brother's mental signature in the men's bathrooms, and to his immense relief, Pokey was not bullying him.

Unfortunately though...

"Lucas, get out of the bathroom stall."

"No."

His younger brother had retreated back into his quiet shell and refused to come out. Claus had been worried that this would happen. The ginger sighed, then rapped the bathroom stall door again. "Lucas, come out. Lunch period won't last forever."

"I'm fine, Claus. You go on without me. I'm not feeling very hungry," his muffled voice came. It was so quiet that Claus could barely hear it through the door. "Besides, I'll only cause you more trouble."

Claus leaned his head against the wall in frustration. This had been the first time Lucas had been called out in disapproval by a teacher, and it had given the blond a nasty shock. The ginger scowled at the obtrusive block of painted wood in his face. _Lucas, now you're just being childish._

_I just can't believe I forgot to bring my calculator to class,_ Lucas muttered with utmost regret._ I must have accidentally left it on my bedside cabinet yesterday night...I'm such a dunce._

_We all make mistakes from time to time, _Claus pointed out. _Compared to my mistakes, you forgetting to bring your calculator is pretty minor. And I know I over-reacted today, but Giygas was plain bullying you about the car accident. That was totally uncalled for._

_...Maybe I should've just died in the car accident and saved everyone the trouble-_

_LUCAS! _Claus felt his brother wince at his loud, mental bellow. _Don't you EVER say something like that!_

_Okay, sorry, _Guilt flowed from Lucas's mind. _I honestly didn't mean to say that. But still, I got you into trouble..._

Claus rolled his eyes._ Lucas, for the last time, it's just detention. One detention isn't going to hurt anyone._

_But you've never had detention before..._

_Well, there's always a first time for everything, right? _Claus smirked. _Now get out of the stall before someone walks in and thinks I'm a perv for standing here._

He felt Lucas hesitate, but in a short while, his younger brother reluctantly unlocked the stall and shyly walked out with averted eyes. "I'm sorry."

He suddenly yelped in shock when Claus suddenly wrestled him into a headlock. "You, sir, are the most idiotic person I have ever known," Claus claimed, quirking an eyebrow. The ginger exhaled a sigh of exasperation. "What am I going to do with you?"

"Claaaus," Lucas whined, wrenching himself free. "I can take care of myself just fine! And you know I hate it when you do that!"

Claus gave his characteristic smirk before giving him a noogie. "Oh, don't be silly, little brother. I'm not hurting anyone." He pushed his tentative brother into the hallway towards the cafeteria. "Come on, Ninten and Ness are waiting."

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~oO0Oo~

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They quickly spotted the two ebony-haired boys alone at an empty table.

Ninten and Ness looked unusually serious; the former seemed to be gloomily gazing at the table, and the latter was glowering at him in intense frustration. At Claus's loud, rapidly-approaching footsteps though, they quickly jerked out of their respective postures.

"Finally," Ness broke out, trying to grin as Ninten moodily picked at his soggy Cafeteria food. "What took you guys so long?"

Lucas flushed in embarrassment, and stared at his shoes, but Claus only rolled his eyes. "I left my stupid Comp Sci book in my locker," he responded brusquely. "And Lucas was busy beating himself up again."

Lucas shyly ducked his head, and Ness laughed. "Don't worry, Lucas, Giygas was pretty mean to everyone today," the baseball captain said, completely understanding. He let out a low whistle. "I wonder why he's never been fired before..."

"No one's failed Calculus since he's started teaching," Ninten mumbled.

"...That too," Claus agreed. He tapped his chin thoughtfully as Ness carefully eyed Ninten for a response, but the Podunk boy said nothing. "I can't believe he gave me detention though," he muttered. "Talk about furious, he went completely out of whack today."

"Well you'd be pretty pissed too if your job was on the line," Ninten snapped. All three boys stared at him.

"Ooohkay," Claus drawled slowly. His blue eyes flickered over to Ness, who quirked an eyebrow in surprise. "I think I might have heard you wrong, but Ninten, did you just _defend_ Professor Giygas?"

"No."

Claus squinted. "Then what was all that?"

"All what?"

Claus scowled. "Stop changing the subject!"

"Did something happen, Ninten?" Lucas studied him in concern. "Did Giygas bully you too?"

Ninten wanted to laugh. _If only that was the case..._Suddenly, he felt Ness's mind poke his inquisitively. _Ness, sod off! _he snapped. Great, as if the situation couldn't get any worse, that annoying-as-hell buzzing sounded close by for the fiftieth time this week...

_Okay, chill. _Ness glanced at him warily. _I swear, I wasn't going to read your mind without asking for your permission._

"...You two are up to something," Claus broke in bluntly. He narrowed his eyes at his two friends. "I've been suspecting it for a while, ever since baseball practice last Friday."

Ness laughed. "Claus, that's a funny thought-"

"I was being completely serious," The ginger deadpanned.

"Both of you have been closed off for the past few days," Lucas added curiously, and Ness blanched. Lucas rarely pointed things out, so their secretive behavior must not have been too secret after all. "What's up?"

Ness felt completely trapped. Ninten wasn't responding to him, and he had two highly suspicious twins on his tail. Desperately, he racked his brains for a way out, but all the frantic excuses he came up with wouldn't work in this scenario.

He felt his heart plummet. _I can't just tell them! They might get into danger! But what if they're already on the hit-list by association? _

After an agonizing minute of internal debate, Ness made up his mind. Supposing that it was time that he let the cat out of the bag, Ness finally opened his mouth to speak-

"I went to a family reunion yesterday," Ninten interrupted in a half-hearted mutter. He couldn't handle it anymore, and the frustration was slowly _killing_ him inside out. Finally, the unpleasant secret that Ninten had been holding back screamed at the top of his forehead.

Claus raised an eyebrow. "...And?"

"Giygas is my uncle," he mumbled.

The effect was instantaneous. A boggle-eyed Ness immediately spewed out his apple juice in a spectacular arc over the table that would have made a dolphin proud. Claus's own eyes widened in shock before the sandwich he had been holding slipped from his fingers and landed with a comical splat onto the floor. Lucas flinched so violently that he accidently knocked over his water bottle, and dived under the bench to retrieve it from the ground.

"WHAT?!" Ness gasped, eyes watering as he continued coughing.

Claus snorted, clearly skeptical. "Yeah, and Lucas is actually my twin sister."

Ninten completely deadpanned. "Giygas is really my uncle, guys. No joke." Stewing in growing dismay, Ninten wanted to curl up into a ball and huddle in a corner. Immediately, he averted his eyes, choosing to stare at the mushy goop on his Cafeteria plate...

"Is that it?"

Lucas's light-hearted response shattered his train of thought, and as Ninten stared back at him in disbelief, Lucas shot him a sheepish grin of amusement.

Ninten didn't get it.

He couldn't understand how Lucas could be so calm.

Instantly, Ninten protested, "Uh...Lucas? My uncle is the most horrifying teacher of all mankind. Shouldn't that disturb you?"

"I admit it's a little weird," Lucas said casually, handing over Claus half of his own sandwich before reaching for his own water bottle. "But that doesn't change anything. You're still you, whether or not Giygas is your uncle." Curious blue eyes studied him. "So why should that make you any different?"

Ninten was taken aback by Lucas's thoughtfulness. Many people assumed that the shy twin faded into the background, but Lucas was the invisible wire in the seams: his levelheadedness kept everyone from falling apart. Ninten felt a small smile grow on his face - he could really rely on Lucas to say things like this.

Claus rolled his eyes. "Gods, Lucas, you can be so cheesy sometimes," he said jokingly before ruffling Lucas's hair. The younger twin grimaced and ducked his head in protest. "And Ninten..geez, you're such a worrywart. Next time, can you give us a warning or something? I think my heart just threw up a little back there."

"Yeah. We just didn't expect you say that all the sudden." Ness looked at Ninten firmly. "Like what Lucas says, we don't think any less of you because Giygas is your uncle. Don't ever think that way."

Ninten wanted to cry with relief and shower everyone with hugs on the spot.

But Claus had been squinting closely at Ninten the entire time, making the latter nervous under his sharp scrutiny. Suddenly, the ginger smirked. "Now that you mention it, the family resemblance in your hair is _striking_-"

"Giygas is completely bald!" Ninten snapped.

"Exactly. I guess you inherited his receding hairline."

Ninten kicked at Claus from underneath the cafeteria table. Unfortunately, he miscalculated the distance, and instead accidentally hit Lucas sharply in the ankle. A surprised Lucas instinctively yelped in pain.

"Oh, sorry, Lucas!" Ninten immediately apologized, cursing his bad luck.

"It's okay," the blond gasped, eyes watering slightly as he nursed his throbbing ankle.

Claus, however, did not take kindly to this action. "Ninten...," he whispered evilly. His blue eyes flashed malevolently as a scary aura surrounded him. "You hurt my brother..."

"I swear it was an accident! I was aiming for you!" Ninten protested.

Ness face-palmed. Ninten had merely dug his grave deeper. _Hoo boy..._

_Ness!_ Ninten cried out, flailing pathetically in his mind. _Save me!_

_Sorry, man, _Ness warily eyed the murderous glint in Claus's eyes. _You're on your own._

_Ness, you traitor!_

"Oh, if you think kicking people's shins is justice, you've got another thing coming, lawyer boy," The ginger cackled darkly. He cracked his knuckles loudly, making Ninten gulp. "Now we're going to stop acting like immature fools and handle this _like men_." Claus flexed his biceps.

Ninten quickly composed himself and narrowed his eyes. "Bring it on," He countered, clenching his fists tightly.

For a few seconds, they glared at each other, oblivious to the exasperated look Lucas and Ness were sharing. Then-

"Rock, paper, scissors, SHOOT!" They yelled in sync, Claus balling his hand into a fist.

"HAH! YES! In your _face_, carrot top!" Ninten crowed, revealing his "paper." Claus retreated to his seat, sulking like a three-year-old. The Podunk boy pumped a fist into the air in victory. "Who looks stupid now?"

Claus scowled. "Who are you calling stupid, stupid?"

"Your name is stupid," Ninten taunted.

Claus narrowed his eyes. "Not as stupid as yours."

"I can run circles around producing nicknames for you," Ninten boasted in a sing-song. "Claustrophobia, Santa Claus-"

"Nintendo," Claus coughed.

"_Hella_ better than Santa Claus."

"Hey, Santa Claus is cool! Don't diss him!" Claus said offended. "At least he makes thousands of people happy every year!"

"Right, _he's_ cool," Ninten agreed. "But you're always such a grumpy grinch."

Claus gave a loud huff of exasperation. He pointed at the Podunk boy and uncharacteristically whined, "Ninten's gone completely loony like his uncle!"

"Claus, you're not exactly one to speak for yourself," Ness interrupted with a grin.

"Oooh, burn!" Ninten laughed. Claus smacked him in the arm, and Ninten punched him back lightly.

"Oreo-addict."

"Ginger-bread."

"Ninten, you should really get some serious counseling," Claus retorted.

Ninten opened his mouth to respond in kind-

"I think _both_ of you need serious counseling," Lucas cut in with a mischievous smirk, abruptly bringing the debate to an unexpected end. At Ninten's gobsmacked expression and Claus's incredulous shock, Ness didn't think he had ever laughed harder in his life than he did in that moment.

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~oO0Oo~

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Flint had always been very prideful of his sons.

When they had turned four, Flint had originally wanted them to inherit his career on the farm. But Hinawa had vehemently refused, stubbornly insisting that they should send the twins to school.

"Our sons are smart, Flint," she had said, crossing her arms in that "I'm-not-going-to-give-in" posture. "Education will do them much good." They had ended up arguing for a month over that particular debate. But finally Flint caved in, and allowed the twins to attend the first day of school as a trial test.

Much to Flint's surprise, his sons had literally bounced home excitedly after dismissal, wide eyes sparkling with avid wonder. "We want to go to school tomorrow," they had chimed eagerly at the same time, and Hinawa had simply cried from sheer happiness. Finding no reason to object, Flint had merely agreed.

Flint never regretted his decision. Their house was littered with his sons' numerous achievements: Honor chords and plaques decorated the dinner table. Claus's many robotics trophies were stacked neatly on the mantelpiece of the fireplace, and pictures of Lucas's prominent choir rehearsals hung on the walls. It was somewhat amusing, but at some point, each twin had taken pictures with the President of Eagleland for different reasons. Lucas and nine other boys had been nationally selected in a competitive tournament to sing for an important government performance in eighth grade. One year before that, Claus's robotics team had taken first place in the National Helicopter Design Tournament.

But now, Flint stared in surprise at the sheet Claus had brought home from school. _Meet me after school tomorrow, 2:30 PM_, it read smoothly in a neat scrawl of red ink.

There was a quiet, uncomfortable silence. Lucas had left to the kitchen as soon as they arrived home, claiming to brew some tea for them, but Claus knew it was because he wanted to give them privacy.

"...Explain." His father finally broke the silence in that quiet, low rumble.

"I have detention with Professor Giygas tomorrow after school," The ginger muttered, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

Flint said nothing. His customary silence only seemed to agitate the already-anxious twin.

"I did nothing bad, I swear!" Claus added defensively.

The farmer placed his head in his hands. "Claus...," he sighed.

His father was not an expressive man, but Claus caught his subtle body language and scowled. "Don't tell me that you're disappointed!" he snapped, face flushed in embarrassment.

While Claus was mischievous, his troublemaking never got out of hand. Usually a scolded word or small warning was enough to keep the ginger in check, and Claus was clever enough to know when his teachers were about to meet their limits. And even though he didn't say it, Claus was upset; he absolutely loved Calculus.

"I can't say that I'm not disappointed, young man..."

The ginger clenched his fists. "Giygas just flat out gave me detention for something really trivial! Besides, he was bullying Lucas-"

"Claus, I am not in the mood to be humored right now," Flint interrupted bluntly, meeting his eyes from underneath the rim of his hat. "Disrupting class is a serious offense..."

Suddenly, Claus bolted to his feet. "You have no right to judge me," he uttered accusingly, pointing a trembling finger at his father in rising anger. "You were never there when we needed you most!"

"...I know."

"NO, YOU DON'T! DON'T PRETEND THAT YOU KNOW!" Claus suddenly exploded, completely losing all self-control. He clenched his teeth tightly. "YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT WE'VE BEEN THROUGH! You didn't even give a fuck when I almost ran away from home, and now you think everything's all handy-dandy after Lucas recovered from the car accident, don't you?"

Flint said nothing at Claus's accusations, and his son's frame shook uncontrollably that he almost seemed to vibrate erratically in place. "I bet you wouldn't have even cared if Lucas died like mom!" Claus whispered viciously. "If he died, you-" He swallowed hard, unable to finish the sentence. "You, y-you...just sitting there..."

Suddenly, Claus bolted upstairs, and Flint swore he could feel each thumping footstep pound painfully onto his own heart. In seconds, the aching tattoo was abruptly cut short by the loud _slam _of the door.

Soon afterwards, Lucas materialized from the kitchen. In his delicate hands nestled Hinawa's tiny tea tray. The younger sibling seemed to know what had transpired. Cupping a steaming mug of green tea in his father's clasped fingers, the blond looked up gently. Warm sympathy that he didn't deserve welled in his son's blue eyes.

"It's okay," Lucas said quietly, pouring two more draughts of tea into separate mugs before rising with one in his hand. "I'll talk to him."

Lucas immediately traipsed upstairs after his brother, careful not to spill any tea from the mug in his grip. After a series of soft pitter-pattering that hugely contrasted from the angry thumping from earlier, Flint heard the gentle rapping knock echo down from the wooden bedroom door. There was a creak as the door opened.

Immediately, loud voices began to excitedly rise higher in volume and pitch, making his stomach flip uneasily. But within a few seconds, the voices died down into low incomprehensible mumbling.

There was a short silence. Then the quiet air was punctured by stifled sounds of frustrated sobbing, soon accompanied by soothing murmurs.

And as he covered his eyes with the brim of his hat, Flint had never felt more alone or ashamed of himself in his entire life.

* * *

><p><span><strong>417/15:**** Just to clarify to all you legit programmers...the code used is not legit. Sorry. So don't even try plugging it into the computer (you'll probably get a lot of error codes lol).**

**On the other hand, I suppose it can't hurt to say this: Treat the programming code as a simple riddle (emphasis on the numbers). If you can figure the code out, it foreshadows an event in Chapter 12.**

**Good luck!**

**-Phoesong**


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note:**

**Hey guys!**

**There are three things I need to cover:**

**One: This is no mistake. I posted this chapter early on purpose. This is because...**

**Two: My final exams are starting. While I'll probably be able to answer any PMs during this time, I will not be able to update any of my stories for the next month or so. This is because my grades had taken that sudden dip in the middle of the semester (read AN in chapter 7). Therefore, doing well on them is extremely important to me. My grades aren't bad, but (1) I'm premed lol and (2) I need to work my ass off to completely recover from that dip. BUT I CAN DO IT ARGGHHH *Punches gen chem test out of the park***

**Three: I will warn you that this is possibly the worst cliffhanger in the entire story. And with that one month-ish wait for the next chapter...Hoo boy, I really do feel sorry for ya'll.**

**But don't worry! I'll be back soon. :) **

**You know, I really love reading your reviews. Your conspiracy theories in the reviews totally make my day. Sometimes I wonder how many people I manage to bamboozle...or UNbamboozle...or bamboozle again...Bottom line is: Don't trust everything I write. Except the AN. Maybe. Who knows?**

**Now onto your reviews~**

**Paula-Ana****: Haha I apologize if my story wasn't straightforward! I realized some parts were confusing, so I edited some mistakes to make some info easier to understand. :) Thank you! But the bottom line: Lucas and Claus individually have separate PSI cores. Ninten and Ness do not know there is more than 1 PSI user, so they're baffled to why one 1 PSI user would have 2 cores (unless if 1 PSI core was split in half, which we know is HIGHLY unlikely). ;) And hmm...who knows? Is Giygas innocent, or is he lying? No one knowssssss :D**

**SMF****: Thanks! :D I just try my best with writing haha...And you came quite close to the purpose of the code! Also, whether Giygas is innocent or not, I'll leave that to you to decide ;)**

**KaguTheGreat****: Yes, I did. :D I'm actually impressed you read my A.N; I was under the impression that my ANs are (1) boring and (2) horrendously long. But kudos to you! And I agree; it is amazing how the four boys haven't accidentally read each other's mind yet. :) But we'll explore the mechanics of telepathy in a future chapter (Chapter 13, 14ish? Haven't decided yet)!**

**My XD****: AHHH Thank you! xD And yes, Claus is awesome! He'd totally win the award for "Best Brother in the Universe."**

**OXYD****: I'm so sorry if my writing wasn't clear! xD But Giygas is revealed as Ninten's uncle in the end of chapter 9. And yeah, it is a bit bizarre...I'm a strange person. :) Hmmm, mysterious voice threatening Pokey, I wonder who that could be...? ;D**

**Angel-woof****: Thanks so much! XD Honestly, I'm no English major, but I'll do my best to write some cool stuff/fluff/enough (haha rhymes). And yes, Lucas always seems to make everything a little better for Claus :) On the risk of copy-pasting: I****s Giygas innocent, or is he lying? No one knowssssss :D Huh, I do wonder how long it'll take the four boys to learn PSI... ;D We may never find out. And NO! It is never too late to celebrate Lucas's return, my friend! :D Happiness and omelets for all! *Starts dancing next to you***

**Guest**: **Yeah, I crammed in so much info! xD Ahhh I'm Sorry! **

**ConnorTheSpelingPro****: ...And a special shout-out to you. :) This time, I took a leaf from your book and read the chapter out loud. I caught quite a few grammar mistakes that way (although my dorm mate was probably like WTF xD). Thanks! :D**

**[Insert appropriate disclaimer here]**

* * *

><p>The cool early morning air blew gently against Flint's bare back, and it tickled his exposed skin pleasantly.<p>

_Scrape_.

Flint paid no attention to the sweat dripping from his brow, and grunted in exertion as he plowed the rich, brown soil. The soft dirt easily parted beneath him like water before a ship. Farm work was repetitive and very intensive, but hard work and patience yielded fruitful results.

Dawn was when Flint tended to stew in his thoughts alone. Sighing, he finished the last row of soil, then propped himself against the tool shed to enjoy the glowing sunrise. The bright sun peeked ever-so-slightly over the horizon, lending a sliver of warm yellow into the rainbow of deep purple.

Immediately, he thought of a very familiar memory.

_"A man must tame his own farm and family," _His own father had drawled to him in that cozy, southern accent. As the elder smoked his wood-carved pipe, he threw Flint a grave look._ "A lazy man means a wild farm and wild wife. Never trust a woman, for she will ensnare you with her sly and wily charms."_

_"Of course, father!"_ Flint had responded indignantly. _"I would never do such a thing!"_

His father had only laughed, and ruffled his hair affectionately. _"I know you won't, Flint. Yer a good kid."_

But that was before Flint had met Hinawa. Sweet, shy Hinawa had melted his cold heart and had introduced him to a new life outside of work. She had opened his eyes to appreciate the beauty of the world, and she had always been his confident. Memories of her voice slowly seeped into his thoughts, and he could relive each image like a living photograph.

On their honey moon: "Take a good look at the sunrise. A start of another day...Is it not beautiful, Flint?" she had asked, her red dress swaying in the wind, while his own father would have rebuked him for sacrificing precious time for silly idleness.

After the twins were born: "Flint, go and spend the day with your boys," she had said disapprovingly, clutching a soup ladle in one hand. "You've spent the entire day working in the fields! What if they can't even recognize you as their own father?"

And then he remembered with a pang: "...I love you, Flint," Hinawa had whispered in that special, soft tone of hers that no angel could compare, head cocked curiously in a shadow of mischief Claus had clearly inherited. She would tell him that every single day...

Until her voice was brutally extinguished forever by a carelessly passing truck.

Flint stabbed the shovel roughly into the heart of the ground. It had dawned on him that Hinawa had always been the farmer to his field; when the farmer died, the seeds of his progeny that had sprouted under Hinawa's care had been subject to neglect. Flint had failed her: In bitterness and drowning sorrow, he had turned to drinking and left his growing sons to wither.

But to his astonishment, they had not. Lucas and Claus somehow coped like the toughest weeds, despite crushing hardship. Flint might have done little to support them, but he had not been completely blind to his sons' struggles. In rare bouts of sobriety, Flint had recognized subtle signs of their close trust: holding hands tightly when they walked outside together, understanding each other's body language fluently without speaking a word, comforting the other when in distress.

Then again, Flint knew that he shouldn't have been surprised. His sons had inherited his own endurance and Hinawa's stubbornness after all.

Suddenly his train of thought was broken by a familiar chirp. "Good morning, father!" Lucas called out brightly as he exited the house, Claus silently trailing behind in tow. To Flint's surprise, his youngest son held out a paper bag. "Claus made some extra sandwiches today." Lucas's face suddenly fell nervously. "...H-He thought you might have been hungry."

"Lucas helped too," Claus muttered, stiffening uncomfortably under his father's close scrutiny.

His throat clogged up. Unable to speak, Flint could only nod as he silently accepted the offering. The farmer gazed at his sons standing in front of him: one jumpy in timidity, the other brimming with sullen resentment.

At this sight, Flint's own heart swelled with grim determination. No matter how hard it was, he was never going to give up fixing his past mistakes, even if the tables were already turned against him. Overcome by a sudden bout of emotion, the stoic man suddenly swept his sons into a rare embrace. He could feel them both stiffening in surprise within his grasp, then released them abruptly.

"...Thank you," Flint rumbled quietly. He stared into their clear blue eyes. "Stay safe."

"Of course," Lucas responded softly. Claus only nodded wordlessly, but the ginger relaxed noticeably.

"Promise me," Flint repeated after them with numb lips. He had lost his wife, and had almost lost both his sons over the past few years. He couldn't let that happen, not again.

Both his sons looked taken aback, but this time, they simultaneously broke into genuine smiles. "We will," they chimed in sync, before walking away and disappearing from his line of sight.

Flint stood there alone for a few more minutes before his own mouth slowly twitched into a smile. A quiet sense of pride filled him as he hurried over to start weeding the field. There was much work to be done, but everything was going to be resolved, one way or another.

_After all, was it not a father's intuition to care for his sons?_

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~oO0Oo~

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Lucas blinked in surprise at the drawing of what looked like a very crude blob. "Er...Claus? What's this?"

Claus only scowled darkly before snatching his sketchbook back. "Stupid frickin' art class is what," he muttered. "I have to sketch a portrait of a family member due tomorrow. Are you already finished?"

Lucas grimaced. "No, I'm only half-way done with it."

It was amusing to see how their contrasting personalities shone through their different art styles. Claus's sketches were practical and down-to-earth. He drew exactly what he saw: neat straight lines and sharp corners frequently dominated the page with an emphasis on logic. Most of the time, his impatience at shading clearly showed through, and his work consisted of basic skeletons and bare blueprints of the object in question. Nothing more, nothing less.

On the other hand, Lucas's drawings seemed to evoke some form of human emotion from a viewer. If Claus was defined, then Lucas was abstract. Soft curves and an almost-surreal background lent his work life through careful contrast in lighting and shading. His sketches were nothing but raw expression: sadness, joy, sympathy, pure happiness.

But while art was a nice change from the academic curriculum, neither of them would have taken the course if it wasn't mandatory: Claus was more interested in tinkering in his solar car team, and Lucas preferred to devote the time to practice for choir.

"So why did you just show me that sketch?" Lucas questioned doubtfully. "I didn't think that looked like one of your solar car blueprints-"

"...It was supposed to be your face."

Lucas gaped openly at the now-flushing ginger. "Claus," Lucas said weakly. "I'm sorry, but that looks _nothing_ like my face."

Before Claus could retort, they were interrupted by a perky voice. "Heya, guys! What're you looking at?" Ninten suddenly popped up between the two brothers with a mischievous grin. With a defeated sigh, Claus reluctantly showed him the sketch, and Ninten frowned as he studied the drawing. Suddenly, the Podunk teen brightened up. "OOOOH! Let me guess!" He pointed at the blob. "Is that supposed to be a potato?"

Claus immediately smacked a laughing Ninten with his sketchbook. "I was half-asleep, okay?" Claus snapped, crossing his arms with a huff. "Try drawing a portrait in the dark at 3 AM in the morning."

"It's due tomorrow though...You still have plenty of time!" Lucas pointed out.

Claus shook his head wearily. "I have detention with Giygas today, remember? He's going to assign a hell lot of work. On top of that, I'm welding the Solar Car with Loid at Jeff's tonight."

"Oh bummer," Ninten winced. "Giygas does give a lot of extra homework. At least it'll be really easy to you." The Podunk boy rolled his eyes, before suddenly brightening up in recognition. "Oh, hey! Hey, Ness!" He yelled gleefully. "Check out Claus's incredible masterpiece!"

Claus scowled at Ninten, but it was already too late; Ness had already waltzed over and was now looking down at his sketchbook. "Damn, Claus..." The baseball captain said uncertainly. "Uh...Is that supposed to be a potato?"

Claus ignored him sullenly while a hysterical Ninten broke into mad giggles.

"Well, at least your head looks like a circle," Lucas tried to reassure his brother, pointing at the mutant tuber-like head in his sketch.

"Gee, thanks, Lucas," Claus grumbled, making Ninten only cackle harder.

Then suddenly a familiar, nasally voice boomed out from the corridor. "Hey, dumbass!"

Lucas stiffened up noticeably.

But as if on cue, his three friends reacted almost instantaneously. Claus immediately pushed himself protectively in front of his younger brother, a genuine scowl plastered on his face. Ninten threw a look of equal distrust in the direction of the rude remark, and Ness silently shifted closer to all of them, ready to disperse a fight diplomatically if necessary. All in all, they resembled a fierce brigade of bodyguards.

Lucas blinked several times in surprise at their over-reaction. "Uh...guys? This is my problem_, _not yours_,_" he muttered softly, while trying to push his brother aside.

"No, it's not, Lucas," Ness responded seriously. "This is _our_ problem."

As they had assumed correctly, Pokey soon barreled into view. The bigger boy halted in front of their defensive formation and suddenly gaped. "What the hell?"

"What do you want, Pokey?" Ness asked in a dangerous voice, arms crossed in a "no-nonsense" manner.

Pokey scoffed. "This doesn't concern you, pig's butt." His narrowed gaze fixated on Ness's calculating gaze before resting on Lucas, who was still trying to push his brother aside. Pokey grimly cracked his knuckles. "I still have some _unfinished _business with blondie."

"...Pokey," Lucas said quietly. The younger twin looked apprehensive, but his eyes welled with sympathy. He had clearly remembered their short, genuine conversation a month ago. "You don't have to act this way."

Stunned, Pokey opened his mouth before wordlessly closing it again. For a second, the poor boy looked helplessly lost...Then almost immediately, the bully's face hardened. He clenched his chubby fists. "Shut the fuck up, pipsqueak. Don't tell me what to do!" He bellowed loudly. "You have no idea how I really feel, you have no idea what I've gone through, and NO ONE CARES!"

"I'd be surprised if anyone does," Claus spat out viciously. He sized Pokey up with a glower of absolute loathing. "Look, I don't know what sob story you sold to my brother, but if you think I'm going to let someone like you take advantage of him like that, then you're in for a whole world of pain."

_Claus, stop!_ Lucas cried, battering at his mental wall. Pokey was shaking and looking like he was going to cry. _Listen, there's_ _something you don't __understand- _

_No, I understand plenty, Lucas._

Lucas looked frustrated. _CLAUS! I can fend for myself! _

_Sure, if fending for yourself means getting two black eyes and an arm cast,_ his brother retorted coolly without batting an eye. A slight twinge of annoyance. ..._And _s_top pushing me. You can't make me move._

Lucas made a noise of exasperation, shoving his brother. But it was in vain; Claus stubbornly dug his heels into the tiled floor and refused to budge an inch.

"Pokey, you've been acting strangely for the past month," Ness broke in firmly, violet eyes ablaze. "What's going on?"

"Oh, wouldn't you like to know, _Ness_," Pokey said, an ugly look now gracing his features. "Think you're so tough, don't you? Baseball captain, Student body president...It must feel perfect to have everyone as your friend."

"You take that back!" Ninten yelled, pointing a finger furiously. "Ness actually works hard for his positions, you slimy tub of lard-"

"It's okay, Ninten," Ness interrupted. The Onett teen surveyed his former friend with a frosty look that sent chills down his spine. "Pokey, for the last time, stop bullying Lucas. If you have a problem with me, then pick on me. Leave my friends out of this."

Pokey laughed bitterly. "Oh, so I'm not your friend anymore, am I, you slimy weasel-"

"Picky would be disappointed if he saw you now," Ness said coldly.

Pokey flinched before his face took on a face of fury. "DON'T YOU LECTURE ME ON WHAT PICKY WOULD THINK!" He snarled, clenching his fists. "I-I know what's best for him!"

Ness caught onto the slight, barely-detectable quaver in Pokey's voice, and frowned. Now he understood why Lucas had been worried earlier. "Pokey," he began warily. "Did something happen to Picky?"

Claus snorted. "I doubt it."

"Shut up, Claus," Ness said casually - Claus sputtered in indignation - before addressing his former friend in a diplomatic manner. His violet eyes filled with genuine concern. "Is Picky hurt?"

Pokey could only stare at him. His scowl relaxed, and he almost looked like the shy boy Ness had previously known. To Ness's alarm, Pokey looked completely vulnerable. His face contorted constantly in a mixture of pain and fear, and the chubby boy gulped, eyes darting around in terror. "I...H-He-"

"Don't be stupid, Ness. Of course Picky's hurt," Claus interrupted bluntly, still pushing a protesting Lucas behind him. "I bet Pokey bruises up his little brother everyday and doesn't give a shit."

Pokey flinched violently, and Ness wanted to strangle Claus in sheer frustration. But the damage was already done: Claus had finally cracked the ice on the already-sinking iceberg.

Pokey's face turned an incredible shade of puce in uncontrollable rage. "You'll regret what you said," he spat. He pointed a trembling finger at the bored-looking ginger, and suddenly erupted into a feral grin. "I hope you're next. I hope you disappear like the others!" he yelled.

"Pokey-" Ness tried to regain control of the situation, but this time, Pokey had had enough.

His face hardened. "Don't make me hurt you, Ness."

There was pause before Ness reluctantly stepped aside. Pokey's malicious conviction sent shivers down their spines as they watched him turn on his heel and storm off.

"...Creep," Claus snorted, before finally letting Lucas through.

"Claus!" Ninten cried, throwing his hands up into the air. "Look what you've done!"

"What?" The ginger said defensively. He looked at their less-than-amused faces. "What did I do wrong?"

"He might have told us something important," Ness said, fixing Claus with burning violet orbs. "Picky might have actually been in serious trouble."

Claus laughed. "But come off it; Picky can't _possibly _be in danger! I mean, Pokey's always been such a bully-"

"But it wouldn't have hurt to listen," Lucas cut in quietly. All of his frustration was gone, but Claus could feel his twin's disappointment stewing in his mind. His disapproval stung Claus the most, and the ginger finally clamped up.

"...Let's get to class," Ness said in a strangely hollow voice.

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.

.

~oO0Oo~

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The rest of school passed excruciatingly slowly.

When dismissal finally came, it was with a general air of relief. Ness waved goodbye to a thoroughly miserable Ninten, and headed home on foot. Along the way, the Onett teen picked up some groceries his mother had requested from the local market, and strolled down the familiar sidewalk. Not many people passed by this side of town, preferring the more convenient road.

But Ness welcomed the silence; it gave him the chance to think.

Claus had every right to be skeptical, especially since Pokey had viciously bullied Lucas too many times to count. Ness's stomach gave a nasty twinge when he recalled some fairly unpleasant memories from middle school.

_I don't blame Claus for distrusting Pokey._

But Ness was disturbed by two nagging thoughts. They gnawed at him like a bunch of annoying pests, endlessly puzzling him to no end.

_First off, what in the world is up with Pokey? _Normally, Pokey pretended not to care for his younger brother. More than often, he complained about how annoying Picky was. Taking this into account, his reaction to Ness's questioning was quite worrisome. Adding in Pokey's strangely withdrawn behavior for the past month, if Ness didn't know any better, he'd have thought that Pokey was frightened: someone or something was clearly bothering him.

_Aloysius, perhaps? _Ness winced in sympathy. _I'm lucky; my parents might have divorced three years ago, but at least they didn't believe in physical abuse._

The second, more pressing matter on his mind revolved around Ninten's failure to track down the PK Love user. Ness was worried, and for a good reason: They were still nowhere close to solving the mystery, and the blackmail deadline was tomorrow.

A sour taste pervaded his mouth. _If those starmen jump out at me again, I might not be so lucky next time._

Aside from the obvious personal threat however, what bothered Ness more was that Ninten couldn't _differentiate_ between the two, alike PSI signatures.

_Every PSI core is different from person to person. Logically speaking, even if Ninten couldn't track the PSI signatures down, he should've had no problem isolating one of the PSI signatures from the other._

But if Ninten had trouble trying to distinguish the two PSI signatures from each other, then that meant that they had to be almost - if not completely - identical.

_That makes no sense, _Ness noted, furrowing his eyebrows. _No two __PSI cores are exactly same, and we already ruled out the possibility of splitting one PSI core into two. _

Frustration was starting to creep into his mind again. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Ness firmly recomposed himself with a deep breath. _Okay. When in doubt, start from the bottom. _

PSI signature was like DNA. The more related you were to someone, the more similarities your PSI signatures shared. _It_ _explained why Ninten had been able to open Giygas's desk drawer_, Ness concluded._ Their PSI must've been similar enough to fool the lock._

But even if two PSI signatures were similar, Ninten should've been able to pick out their differences easily. It was like identifying two brothers or sisters even though they were closely related; you could still tell who was who. Besides, there was absolutely no way two people could share the exact same DNA. It was genetically impossible...

...Unless they were twins.

"Lucas and Claus," He muttered out loud in realization, coming to a complete halt. Ness's breath hitched in his throat, and he firmly tried to banish the ridiculous theory. _But that's impossible!_ _It can't be true!_

Immediately, he flicked past his memories, desperately trying to prove himself wrong. But suddenly, everything clicked perfectly into place. It was as if Ness had only been looking at the each puzzle piece separately this entire time; now he saw the full picture.

_Ninten's constant headache, the weird looks the twins had thrown each other from time to time, Claus's guilty expression at the Halloween Party...it makes sense. It ALL makes sense!_

Although he had yet to figure out how BOTH of them knew PK Love, Ness momentarily allowed himself to bask in thrilled revelation.

_How ironic, _Ness thought wryly. _That the two people we had been looking for were literally in our faces this entire time._

Now that _that_ particular case had been cracked, Ness had to warn them. Contrary to what Ninten believed, Ness was highly suspicious of Professor Giygas. The Calculus teacher had been able to completely turn Ninten's suspicions around in one night, and Ninten was not someone who changed his mind easily at the snap of a finger. And from what Ninten had told him, Ness was uneasy; for someone uninvolved with the opposing side, Giygas knew too much. Ness didn't want to entertain the thought of leaving the twins alone with him, not one bit...

_Wait._

_Didn't Claus have detention with Giygas today?_

_Shit. _Ness's eyes dilated in alarm._ Claus!_

Immediately, he whirled around to retrace his steps back to school. Without second thought, the Onett teen sprinted frantically up the empty sidewalk with tense muscles tensed, waving his arms wildly at his sides-

However, in his sudden haste, Ness had not expected to crash headfirst into someone. With a painful yelp, Ness rebounded off a strangely hard surface and brutally smacked against the ground with a painful thud. The grocery bags flew out of his hands, its contents whizzing through the air. A milk carton splattered the sidewalk in a sticky, white mess, and several eggs smashed onto the hard concrete in a crescendo of sickening cracks.

But that was the last of his worries.

Feeling an awful sense of growing dread, Ness's eyes slowly traveled from the familiar silver feet, flitted across metallic torso, and finally rested on the emotionless gaze of a Starman. Several of its buddies stood stiffly behind it in attention, and Ness's heart plummeted sharply. Five expressionless faces studied him before breaking out into an ominous groan.

"Target identified: Ness."

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

To say that Ninten was frustrated was the understatement of the century.

He could tell that Ness was equally downhearted by their subsequent failures. As the Onett boy threw him a weak smile and waved him off, Ninten stood dejectedly in front of the school with a sigh.

Ninten clutched his head, almost tearing his hair out in pure frustration. _Why can't I even track down two stupid PSI signatures!_ _At the very least, I should have a list of suspects by now. I can't afford to screw up..._

Moodily, Ninten walked across the school courtyard. The school had canceled all extracurricular activities for an entire week due to possibly bad weather conditions. He grinned slightly, remembering how Ness threw a hissy-fit today for not being able to schedule a last-minute baseball practice. But the weather station had been completely wrong. Today the weather was _gorgeous_: the sun was shining brightly with just the right touch of wind, and the cool air felt pleasantly refreshing.

_Screw the weather station, _Ninten thought irritably, fixing his eyes onto a merrily spouting water fountain. _Why does the weather have to be so happy when I'm feeling so crummy?_

As if on cue, something moist grabbed his arm. Emitting a girly shriek, Ninten jumped ten feet into the air-

But that was before he heard the awful sobs. Whipping around, Ninten's face immediately took on an expression of incredulity.

"P-Pokey?" Ninten sputtered.

The blond boy was positively _bawling_. Tears were dripping down his chubby cheeks from his red rimmed eyes, mixing with the snot running freely from his nose. Although he had no love for Pokey, Ninten was struck by a bizarre mix of horror and mild disgust at his alarming condition.

"Pokey?" Ninten kneeled down next to him warily. He was no Ness, but the Podunk teen couldn't leave Pokey alone like this. "What's wrong?!"

"N-No...Y-You need to help me...!" Pokey stuttered, rocking back and forth in dismay.

Ninten hesitated before awkwardly patting him on the back. "Uh, there, there...everything's okay..."

"N-Ninten?" Pokey muttered, recognition dawning in his eyes. Suddenly, the bigger boy roughly shoved him away, "Go! Save y-yourself before he finds you too!"

"H-Hey! What's the big deal?" Ninten yelled as he stumbled forward, almost tripping over head-over-heels in his haste. He turned around to glare furiously, but Pokey still pushed at him, weakly pounding at him pathetically.

"H-He knows...N-Ness...All my fault..." the blonde sniveled, rubbing at his eyes with chubby fists.

"Hold on, what's wrong with Ness?" Ninten asked. When Pokey doesn't respond, Ninten bent over and forced the boy to look into his eyes. "Pokey. What. Happened. To. Ness?"

Pokey only took one look at him before completely losing it. "G-Giygas! He's after Ness!" Pokey howled before breaking down uncontrollably. "He knows, he knows you have PSI! Ness_..._I'm so sorry..."

Ninten froze. "Wait...Giygas?" he breathed. Suddenly, Ninten felt badly winded as though someone had punched him straight in the gut. "No, it can't be..." His eyes traced the sobbing blond on the floor. Then prickling suspicion followed disbelief. "And how would you know?"

Pokey said nothing, but only bawled louder. Cruel realization struck Ninten hard. "It was you! You've been working for Giygas this entire time!" Ninten yelled, jumping away from him in disgust. The Podunk teen shook madly with anger, and pointed an accusing finger at him. "YOU were the spy!"

"WHAT WAS I SUPPOSED TO DO?! I hate those goddamn twins, I hate them so much! They took Ness away from me!" Pokey screamed, throwing his hands up into the air. "Giygas offered revenge, but when I tried to back out later, h-he threatened to take Picky a-away. And he knew Ness could use PSI; he promised not to hurt him!" Pokey gasped, wet rivulets of tears flowing down his chubby chin. "H-He lied..."

Ninten had no idea what to say. "Pokey..."

"He kidnapped my brother last week," the blond said shakily. Desperate blue eyes pleaded and begged silently. "P-Please, save Ness...save my b-brother! It's all my fault..."

For a second, Ninten froze, watching the pitiful lump quiver pathetically on the ground. An instant later, he was running, storming through the street like a thunderbolt. The Podunk boy had no time to waste. Ninten ran harder than he ever had in his entire life, feet pounding on the sidewalk in a frantic, panicked tattoo.

All the while, his chest heaved violently. Ninten retched, wheezing at the awful pain clawing at his sides. Giygas's betrayal stung, twisting a knife deeply into his heart. All along, it had been Giygas...Giygas, whom he had dared to trust, whom he had even tried to look up to and love...

And Ninten had stupidly fallen for it. He had easily fallen for the biggest trick in history, and Ness was going to pay the price for his foolishness. Choked helplessness clogged his throat as Ninten mentally shouted out for his friend, calling out his name desperately for any sign of a familiar response...a_nything_ except for that awful empty silence...

_Ness, where are you?_

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

Claus sullenly shouldered his bag as he made his way to Giygas's classroom. Ever since Pokey's intervention this morning, today was turning out to be a very lousy day. And now, he had detention on top of that. _Perfect. Just absolutely, frickin' PERFECT._

_Claus._

The ginger immediately registered the familiar voice. Turning around to face a worried Lucas, Claus tried to reassure his younger brother with a weak grin. "Lucas, I'll be fine. Look, why don't you go and take the bus home?"

Lucas hesitated. "But Claus-"

"Detention's going to last a while," Claus sighed. "You'll be here doing nothing for an hour. Go home and do your homework...Seriously," he added with a frown when his brother didn't budge. "There's nothing you can do, Lucas." Claus smirked, "...Unless you want to take my place in detention."

"I can take your place for you," Lucas said quietly. "It wasn't your fault-"

"-And you know that I would never let you," Claus finished firmly. He grinned, hiding his worries with a mischievous facade. "Relax, Lucas. It's only a detention. I'm not going to get mugged or anything."

"...I know," Lucas said, lips quirking into a small smile, and at that moment, Claus knew he had succeeded in convincing his brother. "Okay, I guess I'll go home then."

"Good boy," Claus smirked, ruffling his brother's hair into messy curtains.

Lucas yelped and swatted his hand away. "Claus!"

Still smirking, Claus watched his twin disappear in slightly higher spirits. Lucas's cautiousness might sometimes be annoying as hell, but over the years, Claus had just accepted it as part of his brother's character. Besides, his concern had never failed to brighten Claus up.

He found himself face-to-face with the classroom door and sighed. _Now or never, I guess. _He knocked on the classroom door. "Professor Giygas?"

There was no response, and Claus frowned. _That's strange...Giygas is never late for anything. Maybe __he's in a last-minute faculty meeting._

"Hello?" Claus called out once more, rapping the door, before opening it with an ominous _creaaaak._

The entire classroom was dark: the lights were turned off. The blinds were shut to max, lending the eerie silence a whole new level of creepy. Claus swore that he could hear his own breath as he walked into the slightly chilly air, hugging himself in warmth. He flicked on the light switch in annoyance, but nothing happened. _Great. I guess I'll have to wait for him in the dark._

But darkness had never really bothered Claus before. With an indifferent shrug, Claus slumped down in one of the chairs and rummaged for his pencils. As his fingers scrabbled around his bag, he realized that his calculator was missing. _Oh crap, I lent it to Lucas yesterday and forgot to ask for it back..._

Not that Claus needed a calculator, but Giygas was quite notorious for giving detention homework with ridiculous numbers from what Ninten had told him. Claus simply sighed. _I hope Giygas has a spare and doesn't chew me out._

Suddenly, the door slammed shut.

Claus immediately whipped around in alarm. He tensed, wary of possible Calculus teachers lurking in the darkness. _Something's not right. _His blood ran cold. "...Professor Giygas?"

Several pairs of red eyes glowed back ominously.

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

At the ear-shattering whirr, Claus immediately threw himself off the chair.

Not a moment too soon: A giant blast of energy hit the desk, obliterating it into a pile of matchsticks.

Claus wasted no time to react. Whatever these..._things_ were, they were clearly a threat, and he was in trouble. Instinctively, he called upon his PSI core, and felt it hum in a hot rush of energy. Dramatically, he pointed at the Starmen with sparking hands. "PK Love!"

Nothing happened.

Claus couldn't help but throw his hands into the air in annoyance. "Oh, come on!" He complained, before another beam almost fried his face. Immediately, he switched tactics.

"PK Thunder!" He yelled instead, sizzling one Starman and sending it flying into two others.

"PK THUNDER!" Another dazzling bolt of fluorescent silver slammed into one robot, imprinting an impressive crater into the wall.

"PSI Block," one of them droned just as Claus tried to send out another bolt of crackling lightning. To his alarm, Claus felt a foreign force repress his PSI core, like water behind a dam.

_BLAST!_

Red eyes began to glow in sync as they aimed their eyes towards their intended target. Claus yelped as he narrowly ducked underneath the desk. With a _floom_, the solid wood caught fire, set dancing ablaze like an odd birthday cake.

Clenching his eyes tightly, Claus steadied his shaking hands. _What are these things? Why are they attacking me? _Claus felt hysterical fear bubble in his throat before he laughed grimly. _Well, I'm glad Lucas went home. At least he's safe._

The world must have seriously hated him, because as if on cue, his younger brother loudly burst into the classroom. "Sorry, Claus, I realized I took your calculato-"

Immediately, Lucas froze as the Starmen focused their gazes on their new arrival. Claus shrieked without disregard for his own safety. "Lucas, DUCK!"

Flinching in alarm, Lucas barely avoided the deadly beams of light that had soared over his head. "Claus, what-"

Quickly overcoming his initial surprise, Claus darted over to seize his brother's wrist, yanking him out of the classroom into the hallway. "Don't ask!" The ginger shrieked frantically. "JUST RUN!"

Suddenly, something exploded at their feet violently. With a collective shout of surprise, both of them were heavily knocked onto the ground, and the tremors sent them skidding into an empty classroom. Gasping for breath and heart pounding madly in his ribcage, Claus spotted the Starmen rapidly approaching the entrance.

_Lucas, shut the door!_

Without question, Lucas immediately bolted up and slammed the classroom door shut. Together, the twins dragged several desks to barricade the entrance before scanning the room desperately for a way out.

They were cornered like rats in a cage. The only exits were the door and windows. The door was definitely out of the question; the windows had been bolted shut and barred. Probably a newly-added security measure. Claus wanted to laugh at the irony, but now was not the time to indulge in dark humor.

The shuddering door shook wildly, the knob twisting madly in rattling clicks. A vicious series of scratching erupted on the other side as if a rabid animal was clawing its way in.

Heavy, ragged breathing filled the air as they drowned in growing dread. Claus suddenly broke the silence with a feeble laugh. "...I guess that means my detention's cancelled."

_Claus...? _Lucas's blue eyes flickered to his in fear. The blond flinched as the door rattled more violently, and a few chairs vibrated from the force of the thunking. _What's going on?_

_Heck if I know. _Claus flicked his hands to no avail. _Shit, I still can't use PSI!_

Lucas made a noise of alarm._ What happened?_

Then the door flew off its hinges with a nasty, gun-shot like bang. Lucas shrieked, diving to the floor as the group of Starmen barged in, red eyes glowing. "Target uncooperative," they rasped in eerie synchronization, monotonously honing in on Claus. "Force will be used."

For the second time that day, Claus was immediately faced with another barrage of PK Beams. Unfortunately, he wasn't as lucky this time. Several sizzling bolts narrowly missed his torso, but one beam managed to graze his right thigh.

Immediately, the ginger yelled as a piercing, burning pain exploded in his nerves. Unable to hold his weight, his trembling right leg collapsed underneath him, and Claus stumbled onto the ground. The Starmen hovered closer, charging up another attack, and Claus feebly raised an arm to defend himself-

"PK Love!" Lucas cried, opening his arms in an expressive show of light. Beautiful blue hexagons shimmered through the air, and Claus looked on with awe at the display of color as it gently dissolved against his skin like harmless snow. On the other hand, upon contact with the Starmen, the hexagons brutally shredded through the metallic skin. Several of them exploded in a shower of sparks and groaning screeches.

_Why couldn't I do that? _

In a heartbeat, Lucas was at his side, yanking an unsteady Claus firmly back onto his feet. Claus involuntarily hissed as the agonizing burn flared with pain.

_Claus! _Lucas exclaimed worriedly, gripping his wrist tightly in concern. _Are you hurt?_

_It's nothing, just a small burn, _He started, but Lucas had already placed his cool hand on his inflamed wound.

"PK Healing." As if like paint, the gruesome, stinging inflammation was washed away, replaced by the color of Claus's usual skin tone.

But in that moment, Claus felt his stomach drop unpleasantly. All the remaining Starmen had frozen. In eerie synchronization, they slowly fixed their eyes on Lucas, who started to look unnerved by the sudden display of attention. "Second target acquired."

"Lucas," Claus whispered urgently as his younger brother warily eyed the Starmen. The ginger raised his voice into a yell. "Run before they-"

"PSI Block," One droned.

_CRAP!_

_"_PK LOVE!" Lucas cried out, but this time nothing happened. Realization dawned on his face as the blond hastily tried to correct for his mistake, but before Lucas could react, one of the Starmen struck him onto the floor with a metallic thunk.

Several whirring sounds erupted, and the Starmen's arms deconstructed into tranquilizer guns. "Target PSI neutralized."

"Lucas!" Claus shouted, immediately dragging his dazed brother backwards out of the way as several tranquilizer darts ominously thunked he had been lying seconds ago.

To his relief, a rough glimpse reassured him that Lucas was okay, but shaken. Claus's eyes scanned around for the open classroom door, but his heart fell. The only entrance was blocked behind the vast crowd of Starmen. It was utterly hopeless; the ginger couldn't defend Lucas and avoid the Starmen's attacks at the same time. Gritting his teeth, Claus pushed his brother behind him protectively. He threw the Starmen a challenging stare, despite the fear that was threatening to bubble up his throat.

For the first time in so long, Claus felt terrified. These things were going to kidnap him and his brother, and there was nothing he could do to stop them.

Absolutely nothing.

* * *

><p><strong><span>Author's Note<span>: **

**...And code time.**

**Remember this nice code from Chapter 11?**

_Command Input: 16111215225_

_For[161515, 1141;_

_10, 16:00]_

_Command Input: 16111215225_

_For[1461919;_

_108, 14:30]_

**It was nothing really serious, but just something I wanted to try out. So the answer: The "Colonated" numbers represent times. So for example, 16:00 = 4:00 PM. Substitute the other numbers with letters, where 1= A, 2 = B, and so on. Therefore, you would get the following data:**

_Command Input: PKLOVE_

_For[Poo, Ana;_

_T, 4:00 PM]_

_Command Input: PKLOVE_

_For[Ness;_

_Th, 2:30 PM]_


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Note:**

**Hey y'all. ;) Look who's back after an entire month?**

**Thank you for the final exam well-wishes. Likewise, I hope all of you are surviving your exams too. :)**

**Again, sorry for that last cliffhanger! It might sound like I'm randomly sitting in front of my laptop, rubbing my hands and evilly cackling, "YES. I will put this cliffhanger here to torture all my readers. How _delicious_!" But in reality, I do have a plot in place, and the cliffhanger just happened to fall at the end of that particular chapter. :x Oops.**

**Oh. My. Pork. This chapter was by far the hardest to get right. I wrote two other alternate chapters, but couldn't decide on one to pick, so I ended up mashing aspects from all three. Maybe I should compile all the deleted scenes and post them as a separate chapter when I finish this story...Anyways, as of now, this chapter marks the half-way point of the story (estimating 20-25 chapters). And speaking of which, I should probably start sketching a cover picture for this story on Paint SAI or something. :x Double oops.**

**And finally, one of you has cornered me and asked me the dreaded (just kidding) question: Will there be any pairings in this story?**

**My answer is no. ****I've never written Romance before (Trust me, you do not want me to try). Personally, I also wrote this story without any pairings in mind. Combined with my inexperience, pairings would only complicate the plot (which is already convoluted enough to begin with), and I would prefer to avoid that. ****On the other hand, I know there's already been some subtle NintenXAna and NessXPaula hints earlier, but no romantic pairing will be formally announced. **

**I believe that literature should be interpreted in the eyes of the beholder. ****So yeah, keep whatever pairing you love; I won't take it away from you. **

**Finally onto your reviews! **

**SMF: Thanks! Don't feel guilty D: And yeah, sorry about that mean cliffhanger. DX But now we know what happens next! :D And yeah, it took Pokey 6 chapters to finally speak up. It was so agonizing to write**

**Thatfaunkid: Hehehe plot twists. *Inserts evil grin here* I think so far though, I only had two or three in the story. xD And wow, I'm flattered that you made an account for this story. Hopefully the future chapters won't disappoint. :)**

**NintenGirl9x: Thanks for your kind words. :) Yeah, I spent as much time as I could to perfect this chapter. It's been a while; hopefully it transitions well with the previous one DX And yeah, I realize I have a weird tendency for making things go wrong for the characters all the time. DX I'm such a pessimist haha**

**OXYD: That, my friend, is a secret for another time. ;)**

**KaguTheGreat: Oh no, I'm a horrible person! D: *Runs away into corner crying* Just kidding. But in all seriousness, I decided to give the Starmen PSI Block (that'd be _disastrous_ in-game D:). I thought that made things more complicated...and much more interesting ;D**

**PKPlotTwist: Haha thank you. :) I don't know about "one of the best," but this story is an awesome stress-reliever. ;D But seriously, I laughed so hard at your very subtle coughing. xD To answer your question though, *cough cough* yes *cough* Kumatora will make an appearance at some point :)**

**Angel-woof: *Holds you back from* NOO! Stahp! You'll run out of tables to flip over and walls to punch at this rate! DX We're only half-way through the story! But I'm glad to see you're keeping your mind open about every possibility ;D And dude, your guess is pretty close: I'm a Biochem major :) But Chemistry ftw~ **

**FalconerET: Thanks! The metaphor suddenly hit me at one point, and I had to write it down. I'm glad it worked out well; at first it seemed like an awesome idea, but it progressively sounded less cool as I typed it down DX. And dude. O_O Your dreams foretell the future? *Bows down* Please teach me your ways!**

**Guest: Thank you! Um...I think it'll be a while before we see Pokey again, and a Pokey vs. Giygas fight scene in the story would sound a little out of place. I didn't want to leave you empty-handed, though, so I made this really random crack!fic for you yesterday at two in the morning:**

**"**En garde!" Pokey yelled, swishing his medieval sword in front of him like a light saber.

Giygas narrowed his eyes. "Tally ho!" he cried, tripping over his heavily-armoured foot. Immediately, he comically fell flat on his face. Spitting out mud, Giygas nursed his sore ankle. "Curses! Why are we fighting with outdated, inefficient weaponry in the middle of nowhere?"

*Author shrugs and continues sipping orange juice*

"Thou shall not escape from me, you insolent knave!" Pokey cried pompously. He pointed his sword at the downed man. His finger trembled dramatically. "I'll show you the TRUE power of PSI!"

Giygas's eyes widened. "No! Anything but that!" he cried in fear.

Pokey grinned evilly, a sinister glint in his eye. "Oh," he cackled. "I can do _anything_, Giygas." Pokey raised his hands into the air. "Prepare to be blasted into oblivion!"

"NO!" Giygas howled, and Pokey drank in his demise with pure glee.

"BEEEEKAAAAAY WHOPPER!"

Then everything turned into burgers and everyone lived fat and happily ever after. The End.

**Sorry. Overused joke is overused. I'm never writing crack!fic again...and why am I even writing at two in the morning I honestly don't even know anymore asfhdsioghwefgr**

**StarrySkys102: Dude, it's okay if your predictions are correct. xD I honestly don't mind; it encourages more discussion about the story! :) But the real question is _if_ your the prediction was right ;D**

**JustMeHi: Haha you might want to read chapters 10-11 for your answers. :) I posted chapters 10-12 on the same week, so it's totally understandable if you accidentally missed the first two. xD Hmm...I have written 4 completed stories total in other western animation fandoms. Along with this story, I am also writing an Earthbound/Hogwarts crossover (which I need to work on at some point triple oops DX). But glad to know you're interested. :)**

**MyXD: Yeah! Now Ness finally knows Lucas and Claus have PK Love! xD Thank gods, that took forever haha**

**CrankySky: *Struck by your PK Love and gets concussion* DX But yeah, poor Claus. Hopefully he doesn't magically turn evil or anything. That'd be awful. D:**

**[Insert Appropriate Disclaimer here]**

**P.S. I posted the meaning of the Giygas's code at the end of Chapter 12 (Chapter 13 is too long...).**

* * *

><p>"Claus," Lucas whispered.<p>

"I know." The ginger swallowed hard. His eyes darted around for any hope of escape, but found no such luck. "We're so screwed."

Suddenly, the entire army clanked to a complete stop in front of their stunned eyes. The lead Starman shuffled forward. Its metal chest plate smoothly slid up like a window, revealing a video screen. For several seconds, the back of a black, leather-bound chair fizzled into the camera shot. Then the chair spun around, revealing the flickering silhouette of...

"Giygas," Claus growled.

Said person tilted his head in recognition. "Hello again, Claus. It's a pleasure to see you." His eyes suddenly lit up with a hungry gleam, as if he were a feral cat eyeing its trapped prey. "And dear Lucas, what a surprise! It's so nice of you to tag along with your brother. Now that I know that you can use PK Love, we can conduct some...business."

"I want no business with you," Claus snarled, sweeping Lucas back by the arm and a protective stance in front of him.

Giygas's lips twisted into a wry smile. "And I am equally charmed by your manners."

Erupting like wildfire, Claus's blood boiled. He was about to shoot out a nasty retort (or probably curse him out) when Lucas set a firm hand on his twin's shoulder. Giygas had the upper hand here, and losing their temper would only make matters worse.

"The school is half-destroyed. Someone's bound to investigate, Giygas," Lucas stated calmly with false confidence, although Claus could hear a slight quaver in his voice. "You should leave before you get arrested by the police."

Giygas's mouth only curled up in amusement. "Nice try, Lucas, but you can't fool me. Stalling me out is completely useless. Even with your PSI powers, both of you are helplessly outnumbered." He laughed easily, and Lucas's stomach plummeted sharply. "Besides, the Onett Police isn't coming anytime soon. In fact, even as we speak, those incompetent fools are probably wondering how a computer bug managed to jam their internal communications system."

"What do you want with us?" Lucas blurted out, eyeing the Starmen warily. His mind raced furiously. "We didn't do anything wrong!"

_Lucas, you're so naïve, _Claus sighed in frustration, dragging his face down with one hand. _I honestly don't think Giygas barging in with an entire army of robots has anything to do with our school conduct._

_We don't know his motives, _his brother's responded defensively. _It can't hurt to ask._

However, Giygas only drummed his fingers idly against the desk. "Forgive me. While I wish to spare both of your lives, I do need one PK Love user to achieve my goal." He paused regretfully. "Shooting you both down with tranquilizer darts seems rather _barbaric -_ hence this diplomatic approach. I'm feeling particularly generous, so one of you can leave unscathed." He then opened his arms wide with a humorless smile. "You have a minute to decide."

"NO WAY IN _HELL_!" Claus snarled in fury. Clenching his fists, the ginger spat out his words, dripping with venomous contempt. "What makes you think that we'd follow your orders?! Fat chance! You're just a heartless bastard who manipulates everyone's feelings for your own sick pleasure!"

There was a horrible silence.

"Heartless, am I?" Giygas whispered in a dangerously soft voice. Something about his sudden change in tone was rather unnerving. Giygas's frosty eyes flashed with unbridled anger, and the temperature in the room seemed to drop by several degrees. Claus felt chills shudder down his spine as Giygas's icy stare bore through him. "Very well, then. I'll show you how _heartless _I can be."

Suddenly, a jolt of movement caught Claus's eye, and he flinched back. One of the Starman had lunged at him with remarkable speed, metal arms extended to strike. Alarmed, Claus managed to raise his forearms against the painful blow.

But the blow never came.

Dodging past him, the Starman snatched a startled Lucas by the throat and roughly dragged its prized victim upright. Gasping with surprise, Lucas scrabbled desperately at his neck, trying to pry off the thick, metal arms in vain.

"Lucas!" Claus shouted, sprinting forward to help. Instantly, Claus took two running steps before he froze with outstretched fingers; several tranquilizer darts had clicked readily at his direction, shivering ominously in their sockets; the sharp, glinting needles were so close that Claus could simply bend over and pluck one out.

"_Ah ah ah_, Claus," Giygas tutted condescendingly, shaking his head with a knowing smile. "If I were you, I wouldn't take another step. My finger might accidentally _slip_ on the wrong button, and well...we wouldn't want anything _tragic _to happen to brother dearest, would we?"

"Let. Him. Go." Claus ground out dangerously. Giygas could've easily knocked both of them out in one volley, yet for some strange reason, he had refrained from shooting. _What on earth was he waiting for?_

Then the Calculus teacher smirked, and Claus realized that he was toying with him. "What's the matter, Claus?" Giygas drawled casually. "You did say that I was just a _heartless_ _bastard_ who manipulated everyone's feelings for my own sick pleasure."

_That...That twisted jerk!_

Giygas reclined on his chair lazily. "Like my Starmen, Claus? Each one was hand-crafted in my very own research facility." He leisurely took a sip of tea, drinking in Claus's frozen expression of pure loathing. "But I do sincerely apologize. I didn't want to consort to force, but you provoked me." A wicked smile grew on his cold features. "Of course, if you ask nicely, I might change my mind and let your brother go."

"Claus, don't listen to him," Lucas warned, carefully steadying his voice. "He's only messing with you." He winced as the other metal arm snaked around his torso, almost crushing his ribs with tight pressure. _I'll be fine. GO!_

Claus clenched his hands, and his expression hardened. _I'm not leaving you behind._ The ginger's eyes flickered back and forth. "You've got to be kidding me, Giygas," Claus stated flatly. "This is underhanded, even for you."

Giygas forced a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Well, I'm afraid that Love drives us to do desperate things."

Claus narrowed his eyes at the patronizing tone, and steadied his shaking fists. He wasn't going to give Giygas the satisfaction of rattling him. "Leave my brother out of this," he demanded, his eyes boring a hole into the crackling screen. "I can use PK Love too. Take me instead."

"Claus, no!" Lucas yelled, and immediately redoubled his struggling. "You can't-" Suddenly, he gasped as the crushing force brutally tightened around his throat, cutting off his voice into a strangled gurgle.

"Are you trying to _bribe _me, Claus?" Giygas asked, throwing him an amused expression. He pretended to think hard. "Why the sudden change of heart? After all, your first response wasn't very polite."

Lucas weakly kicked at his captor, but the Starman squeezed Lucas's throat tighter, forcing out harsh, throttled whimpers of pain. Smiling cordially, Giygas tapped a finger to his chin, taking savage pleasure at Claus's horrified look of helpless dismay. "Tell me, Claus. What exactly was your first reply to my offer? _No way in Hell_, was it?"

Giygas's smile faded, and his expression hardened. "I would be more careful if I were you, Claus. Think of the possibilities: one of you is expendable. Why, I could easily strangle your brother in front of your own eyes this very instant, if you make me _very unhappy_."

Lucas choked, his face turning a pale shade of blue.

"NO! Let him go!" A terrified Claus screeched in frenzied desperation, abandoning all pretense. "PLEASE!"

But he didn't need to repeat twice; the Starman had abruptly released its metal grip. Lucas collapsed heavily onto the floor on all fours, retching and clutching at his sore throat.

In a heartbeat, Claus was at his side. "Lucas!" he cried out in alarm, and frantically hovered over his shuddering form like a mother hen. "Lucas, are you okay?"

_Yes, _was what Lucas had wanted to say, but considering that he had almost been strangled to death, his lungs were admittedly busy _trying to breathe _instead of _trying to talk_. However, Lucas wasn't one to leave his brother hanging, and managed to nod his head weakly.

Suddenly, Claus pulled him into a fierce hug. Badly rattled and horrified, the ginger choked on the emotions he had tried so hard to hold back. _Oh gods, Lucas, I shouldn't have yelled at Giygas like that...H-He could've...you could've..._

Biting back a wince whenever Claus's arms brushed against his neck, the shaky blond buried himself into his brother's warm embrace. Rigid fingers clung onto the back of Claus's shirt, digging deep furrows into the cloth as Lucas steadied his breathing. Perhaps it was childish, but Lucas instinctively relaxed at his twin's touch; his brother's arms promised safety, and nothing could hurt him as long as Claus was here.

Suddenly, a pulse of unusually strong emotions washed over him, and Lucas shivered. Raw fear radiated from Claus in spiking waves, sending Lucas's psychic senses haywire. Troubled, Lucas glanced upwards to decipher his twin's expression, but Claus only put on a brave face. Even now, his older brother was trying to be strong for the two of them.

Lucas felt a pang of guilt. Unintentionally or not, he had made his brother deeply upset. _Don't worry, Claus, _Lucas murmured gently, trying to soothe his panic-stricken brother. Bright blue eyes stared up reassuringly at him. _I'm fine. Honest._

After searching his face with worried eyes, Claus's tense expression finally softened. The ginger let out a shaky laugh of relief and hugged him tighter. _Lucas, you're the worst liar in the world._

_That's why I'm not the troublemaker of the family. _Lucas poked at his shoulder with a grin, ignoring the painful burning sensation in his throat. He knew that he had succeeded when he felt his brother's grip relax.

Claus rolled his eyes. _For someone half-strangled, you sure have a lot of sass._

Observing them, Giygas's impassive eyes seemed to flicker with an unreadable look. _Was it pity? Regret? _But whatever it was, the sentiment quickly vanished.

"Now that you know what I am capable of, let's get back to business," Giygas droned, making both the twins jump. The Calculus teacher leaned so close to the monitor that they could hear his breath crackle like static. "I sincerely regret giving you two a choice. This diplomatic approach is getting us nowhere. If you can't decide, then I'll just take both of you myself."

The Starmen aimed their projectiles with deadly accuracy. Then the silent, emotionless army of artificial matter advanced with glowing crimson eyes. Lucas squeezed his eyes shut in fear, and Claus instinctively wrapped his arms around him. _Don't look, Lucas. It'll be over soon, just don't look..._

"The tranquilizer darts might sting a little, but I'll make it quick. Good night, boys."

Then with an eerie whistle, the darts flew into the air, and Claus closed his eyes in defeat.

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~oO0Oo~

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.

A thunderous roar hit their ears.

"NOW NINTEN!"

"PK POWERSHIELD!" Ninten cried, and a revolving purple shield expanded to cover them all in the nick of time. Offensive PSI and other sharp objects pelted the crackling shield and bounced off harmlessly, shattering the windows and peppering the blackboard with holes. "Offense up!" he added for a good measure, and a flash of pulsating red light engulfed all of them briefly.

"What the-" Claus managed to say before he was interrupted by the thunderous _crack _of a bat ferociously smashing home into its metallic target. The unforgiving steel crumpled in with a nasty _crunch._

Ness brightly flashed a brief grin that contrasted heavily with his dark, sooty face. "Well, that was a close call."

"Ness? Ninten?" Lucas finally managed to rasp, arms hovering hesitantly at his sides. He coughed. "H-How?"

"Sorry we took a while," Ninten clamored, picking out an entire chunk of ash from his hair. For some reason, the two boys looked like victims of a volcanic dust storm. "We met some company along the way."

Ness caught sight of the flickering video screen. "Giygas," he started coldly, adopting a defensive pose. "We won't let you get away with this."

Giygas studied Ness with a calculating look. "I underestimated your skills," he admitted, narrowing his eyes. "But you are not my priority anymore. Stand aside."

Before Ness could retort, he was interrupted by a third voice.

"Why?" Ninten despaired quietly, staring at his uncle in horrified betrayal. A tortured expression roiled in his brown eyes. "Why are you doing this?" Ninten croaked.

Giygas actually paused, then shifted uncomfortably. Some of his wild energy seemed to have dissipated from earlier, and now the man slumped over with a weary expression. "Give up, Ninten," he stated quietly. "You will not get past my forces easily."

"I don't think so," Ness snarled, already in motion.

With a shivering _shiiiiink,_ Ness's yo-yo wrapped itself around the ankles of the nearest Starman before its owner harshly yanked back the string like a taut fishing line. The sturdy string sent the Starman flying directly into its comrades with a blunt _slam._ In a high-pitched screech of metal on metal, the squealing line of robots clumsily toppled over, exuding puffs of dust that escaped from the ground.

Ness's eyes suddenly glowed a bright, royal-violet, hot-white sparks furiously flooding his entire torso. The other three backed away, staring in awe at the magnificent display of raw PSI.

"PKaaaaay..." Dramatically summoning an air-guitar, Ness vigorously strummed its invisible strings. "ROOOOOOCKIN'!"

Multicolored, psychedelic beams of light bombarded their eyes as immense sound waves of heavy metal screamed into their eardrums. The resulting explosion blasted all the starmen off their feet, disorientating them in a pile of gunk.

One hit KO.

But their worries were far from over.

"Ness! Incoming!" Ninten yelled, pointing at another fleet of Starmen trying to fly through the shattered windows.

Ness pulled Lucas to his feet, then grabbed his hand. "No time to explain; just hold on _tight!"_

"R-Right!" Lucas stammered.

Likewise, Ninten wasted no time to roughly yank Claus backwards by the wrist. "AUGH!" the unbalanced ginger shouted in alarm. "Ninten, what are you-"

"I've got Claus!" Ninten shouted, suddenly re-materializing and grabbing Ness's arm with a free hand.

The Starmen groaned, picking themselves off from the ground. Their red eyes bored into them as they struggled to reboot their electronic systems. Giygas gritted his teeth, fizzling out. The speakers began to malfunction, and an awful, distorted groan erupted. "Silly boy. This isn't over yet. I won't let anyone mess up my precious plans, and nobody will stand in my way." Cold eyes bored into Ninten's back. _"Nobody..."_

"Go, Go, GO!" Ninten shrieked, yanking Ness out of his frozen reverie.

Abruptly, Ness dragged them all out to the school corridor with alarming strength. He began to sprint down the empty aisle, classrooms and tiles melting into shapeless blocks of color. Ness's entire body started glowing from heat, and a flurry of hot, spiraling sparks completely consumed his blurred feet. In a wild scream of buffeting air and adrenaline, Ness hit 40...50...80 miles an hour...!

Then there was nothing left but a black spot of charred ash.

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~oO0Oo~

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Filled with increasing disbelief, Giygas froze, poised in his black, leather-bound chair. For several seconds, he could only stare numbly at the blackened video screen in dumb surprise. To believe that he had been so easily bested, so easily _thwarted_ by a rag-tag bunch of highschool freshmen was unacceptable...!

Resting a disbelieving hand on his forehead, Giygas allowed himself a soft chuckle.

"I have truly underestimated you and your friends, Ninten. That baseball captain friend of yours particularly surprised me." He chuckled quietly, lowering his cup of tea. His lips quirked upwards humorlessly. "I accept your challenge, my boy."

Giygas rose from the study room of his research facility, ignoring the background cacophony of mechanical hums and whirrs. He stopped at his oak-wood desk, and gripped a small photograph in his hands. His fingers delicately traced its ovular, golden frame glimmering in the dying sunlight.

"But your interference still makes no difference in the end. You can't hide the twins from me forever," he said quietly. "At some point, I will succeed, and my plans will come to fruition, no matter the cost."

His tortured blue eyes stared into the depths of the frame with a freezing fire. The tiny photograph shook uncontrollably between his fingers, the fragile glass threatening to shatter in his tight grip.

"...no matter the cost," he repeated, and black pupils hardened into twin, unforgiving orbs of obsidian.

.

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~oO0Oo~

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It was quiet. _Too_ quiet.

There was no question about what they were all brooding about. The recent ambush, the unspoken confrontation with Giygas...it left all them shaky on their feet.

Ness might not have been an expert at telepathy, but the overbearing sense of heavy guilt weighing down on them was hard to miss. He glanced backwards to see how his friends were faring: Lucas was not too far behind, closely followed by a Claus who never seemed to stray more than a foot away from his brother. Trailing behind, Ninten guarded the back of the line glumly. The baseball captain then kicked a pebble aside, wearily continuing to trudge up the sloped forest.

After he had teleported them to the outskirts of the city, the four had immediately taken to the wilderness in search of safety. It wasn't until they had sprinted a sufficient distance away from the highway that they finally took a break, panting heavily under the green foliage. For the first time since then, Ness had finally studied Lucas and Claus up close, and to say that they looked beaten up was an understatement. Claus looked as if some crazy madman had tried to burn off half his hair with a blowtorch, and Lucas...

_Ness's alarmed eyes widened sharply into the size of dinner plates. "Holy shit, what happened to your voice, Lucas? You sound like Darth Vader!" He worriedly jabbed a finger in his direction. "And what's that on your neck?!"_

_Everyone's alert gaze was now fixed on the younger twin. Lucas looked unnerved by the sudden attention, surreptitiously covering his throat with his hands. "It's just a small bruise," he tried to laugh off. "I can heal it."_

_Immediately, Claus had marched over. Before Lucas could react, Claus had pried both of his hands away, exposing his skin._

_Ness had heard Claus's sharp intake of breath, and curiously leaned forward. An unpleasant sight hit his eyes. Grotesque, greenish-purple bruises lined Lucas's throat like thin dark stripes, and the unpleasant bands clearly stood out against his pale skin. Claus tentatively brushed against one with a finger, and Lucas flinched, immediately letting out a hiss of pain._

_"Lucas...Did my uncle do that to you?" Ninten asked weakly. Lucas hesitated, not knowing how to respond, but that was all it needed for Ninten's face to fall._

_Claus clenched his teeth in anger. "I'm gonna kill that bastard," he muttered darkly under his breath._

_"I'm fine, guys, it's only a bruise!" Lucas cried, roughly shoving his brother's hands away. The harsh rasp coming out of his throat was barely decipherable, and didn't even sound remotely like the blonde at all. It was as if someone had swapped his voice with the croak of a sick, dying frog. "PK Healing." The awful bruises vanished with a tingle of green sparks. "See?" Lucas voiced out, sounding completely normal. "It's no big deal."_

_"It's no big deal?" Ness enunciated incredulously. "What happened to you guys back there?"_

Claus had clamped up with a stony expression on his face. Lucas had oddly looked reluctant to answer as well, so the baseball captain dropped the unpleasant subject. He did have a horrible suspicion, but didn't voice it. Anyways, whatever had happened back there with Giygas left Claus silently bristling with hostility, and Lucas quietly lost in his thoughts.

But Ness was also preoccupied by a worry of his own. Shortly after that conversation, Ninten had literally dropped the bomb on him. Taking a deep breath, The Podunk teen had looked him square in the face, then reluctantly uttered those dreaded words.

_"Pokey was the spy."_

The words echoed through his brain like a death gong. _"Pokey was the spy, __Pokey was the spy, __Pokey was the spy..._

_"Pokey was the spy," Ninten muttered reluctantly._

_Claus scowled. "Why didn't any of us see this coming?" He kicked a stone. "That stupid...ARGH!"_

_"It was Pokey?" Ness asked stiffly. "How did you find out?" His stomach twisted unpleasantly, and Ness felt awful beyond comparison. Pokey had tried selling out Lucas, Claus and countless other friends just to save his neck..._

_"I bumped into him on my way to find you, Ness. He was a total emotional wreck," Ninten said quietly. "Pokey might have wanted to spite us at first, but for some reason, he later changed his mind and wanted out. But Giygas had blackmailed him by kidnapping Picky, and when he also found out that you could also use PSI, Ness, he must have had additional blackmail on top of that."_

_"A likely excuse," Claus snarled. He didn't seem very sympathetic, particularly because the four of them had nearly been fried to crisp. He threw his arms into the air. "Ugh, it was POKEY! I should've known he was up to something!"_

_"Claus, stop it," Ness cut in coldly. "I don't forgive him for everything he's done, but imagine what he had to endure this entire time-"_

_"Well gee, I wonder how tough it must have been to sell us out and almost FRY US INTO CRISP!"_

_"He did it to save his brother," Ninten said bluntly. "If Giygas had kidnapped Lucas and threatened to torture him, wouldn't you have done the same, Claus?"_

_Claus opened his mouth, but froze. All his fury seemed to have burned out, replaced by horror. He finally closed his mouth, sharing an uncomfortable look with Lucas. His younger brother averted his gaze to study his shoes, and Claus swallowed hard._

_The unspoken admission hung heavily in the air like a disease. Out loud, however, Claus muttered, "Maybe. But still, I wouldn't have sold you guys out," he added defensively. _

_The Podunk boy didn't have the heart to respond, and had left the conversation at there._

Speaking of the Podunk teen, Ness could feel Ninten's stewing agitation stirring up the air. His disquietude was an alarming change from the optimistic joker he had been; Giygas's betrayal had hit him hard. For a skilled telepath, Ninten was unable to hold back the flurry of dark thoughts and self-loathing that poured out of him in twisted waves. Ness felt a pang of pity.

Suddenly, Claus halted. "Stop that," he drawled, locking his eyes on Ninten. "Your thoughts are hurting my head."

"Sorry," Ninten grunted, and the volume of teenage angst decreased noticeably. But even so, he was unable to hide all of his emotions. Sinking dread that didn't belong to him crept up into his mind again, and Ness sighed. If Ninten didn't talk this out soon, the Podunk teen was going to snap, and an angry telepath was the last thing they needed in the wilderness.

Finally, Ness halted and threw the Podunk teen a look of sympathy. "Ninten..."

"_Don't_," Ninten snapped, hands trembling. He cupped his face in his hands. "I can't believe I trusted Giygas...This is all my fault."

Their hearts all gave a nasty twinge at Ninten's broken voice. "It's not your fault-" Ness began.

"How is it not my fault?" Ninten whipped around, eyes filled with self-loathing of the highest degree. Gone was any trace of the mischievous humor, gone was the optimism he seemed to possess. "I should've confronted him at the dinner when I had the chance," he muttered. He gripped his hair in his fists. "Or maybe if I'd gotten over my stupid jealousy over Poo, I could've helped him and Ana at the Halloween Dance," he lamented in anguish. "I can't believe it, I'm such an idiot-"

"NINTEN!" Ness barked suddenly, all vestiges of self-control gone now. "What are you talking about? You're completely innocent!"

"OH, REALLY?! If you haven't noticed, my uncle is a freakin' psychopath, Ness!" Ninten screamed, tortured eyes flaring up. His outburst stunned all of them. Sparks of agitated PSI jumped across his hands. "And when you pointed out that he still seemed suspicious, I ignored you! I'm a good-for-nothing, lying, useless prick!"

All the unspoken frustration, weariness, and stress from the day piled up inside Ness, and he finally had enough. "Stuff it!" Ness cried, throwing out his arms and clenching his teeth. "Shut up, just shut up, Ninten! If you want to blame someone, blame me! I'm the culprit! Pokey turned everyone in because he wanted to save me, and if causing him to suffer isn't enough, it's landed everyone else into danger!"

Ness closed his eyes, unable to stand the awful guilt clawing at his insides. "I'm the reason you're all stuck out here. You did your best to help, Ninten, but what have I ever done?" he croaked thickly, blinking back the tears of frustration. "All I've done is hurt my friends."

Running his hands through unruly raven locks in agitation, Ness turned away from his friends in shame. He could feel his friends' accusatory stares boring his back, and the profound silence stretched for an agonizingly long time. Ness stood in growing apprehension, waiting for anyone to speak up against him. Finally, he heard the sharp crunch of gravel as someone stepped forward, and Ness flinched...

But all he felt was a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"You're both wrong," Lucas spoke up quietly. Startled, Ness looked deep into his blue eyes and found no blame or anger there...just comfort and gratitude. "Ness, you and Ninten saved our lives. If it wasn't for you, we...we-"

"We could've been next," Claus dryly finished his twin's sentence. The ginger furrowed his eyebrows. "Look, I don't know why you two just invited us front seats to a goddamn pity party, but this is incredibly stupid." He swiveled around to address his friends. "Ness, you just saved our sorry hides by teleporting us across half the city. If that's not helping, then I don't know what is. And Ninten," Claus fixed his gaze on the Podunk teen. "I totally agree. You might be an idiot-"

"Gee, thanks," Ninten said sarcastically, rubbing his head.

"-but seriously, who the hell cares if Giygas is your uncle? I mean, that still sucks for you-"

Ninten glared at him. "Not. Helping. Claus."

"-but it's not like you tried to shoot our bodies full of tranquilizer darts!" Claus finished stubbornly. He crossed his arms with a sigh. "Ninten, sometimes it's moments like these that make me wonder if you've _really_ left your brain at home."

There was a stunned pause after Claus's heated rant; it was probably the most the ginger had ever spoken in one sitting.

Ninten narrowed his eyes. "...You're awful at comforting people."

Claus sputtered, burning a bright red. "What! I-I, you-"

Then to their stunned surprise, Ninten threw his head back and laughed brightly. The usual joking grin had slid back onto his face. "You don't have to tell me, Claus. I get it, really," Ninten said softly. He stuck his hands into his pockets, and pawed the dirt with his shoe. "I think I'll just need time, you know?"

"Well, whenever you ever want to talk about it, we're right here," Lucas added firmly.

"Thanks, guys." Ninten gave a weak, but sincere smile, and his hunched shoulders seemed to relax slightly. The violent, dark mood had all but vanished, replaced by quiet, solemn pondering. Then the Podunk teen frowned. "But seriously, Claus, leave the comforting to Lucas. You're absolutely terrible at it."

Claus sputtered even more, much to Ninten's amusement. Lucas's mouth threatened to quirk upwards. "Well...at least you tried, Claus."

"_Tried_ being the key word," Ninten blurted out, biting back a grin.

"Why, you little-" Claus started.

"I hate to interrupt your lover's quarrel," Ness quipped, and both Claus and Ninten simultaneously threw him dirty looks.

"Shut up, Ness," they chimed together in sync.

"-but we need to find shelter," Ness finished, miraculously managing to keep a straight face. He eyed the purple evening sky. "It's getting dark, and we need to turn in for the night. Besides, I've had enough action for one day."

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~oO0Oo~

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.

After another half-hour of digging around, they had eventually made camp in a damp, rocky cave sheltered by a voluminous oak tree. A magical, smokeless fire heated their toes - courtesy of Ness's PK fire - and the four boys curled up against the crackling warmth. Thankfully, the PSI was undetected, and the fire was small enough not to be seen easily from outside. It was a perfect location; it was difficult for anyone to spot them through the foliage, yet they had an easy view of their surroundings. Ness could vaguely see the city lights twinkling in the distance, and the blurred whooshing of cars speeding down the highway. His stomach twinged slightly with homesickness.

But if they had not been fearing for their lives, this camp-out was remarkably similar to the boy scout outings Ness had remembered attending at a younger age. Minus the smores, the _I'm-going-to-faint-at-any-second _exhaustion, and the imminent feeling of possible death.

Good memories.

"So..." Lucas stared into the dancing fire. "What now?"

They all fell quiet. The fire illuminated their exhausted, worried faces. Ness fiddled with the brim of his hat absent-mindedly. "Well, we didn't really plan this far ahead in time-"

"-and we didn't expect you two to be targeted so suddenly," Ninten added with a wince.

"Whatever we do, going back to the city is definitely out of the question," Claus pointed out, motioning to the smoke drifting from the horizon. "Even if the authorities had no idea we were there, Giygas already knows we can use PK Love." Claus laughed bitterly. "Returning there now would be like turning ourselves in."

"But why does he want us so badly?" Lucas asked worriedly. "You two are clearly more powerful than we are-"

"PK Love users have an incredibly large PSI core, and I think that's what he's after," Ninten interrupted. "You're just not as experienced as us yet, but I could still sense your PSI pretty easily from the other side of the school."

Lucas and Claus shared an uneasy look. "You know-" Claus began.

"Don't even think about it," Ninten cut in casually. "We're not going to abandon you two to fend for yourselves."

"Guys, think carefully," Lucas said desperately. "If you two hang out with us, we'll only put you both in more danger!"

"We are thinking carefully, Lucas," Ness pointed out. "Ninten and I are already marked down by Giygas, and even if he doesn't come after us, we can't return to school either. They've probably realized we're already missing, and they'll question us if we suddenly reappear without warning. And besides," Ness cut in before Lucas could interrupt. "Where will you two go? How well can you use PSI? Do you even _know_ how to control your powers completely?"

Reluctantly, Lucas shook his head.

"See!" Ninten exclaimed, gesturing wildly at the twins. "If we leave you two alone, I bet both of you wouldn't even last a second out here!"

"Says the person with no backup plan," Claus shot back. He ticked off with his fingers. "We have no supplies, no shelter, no idea where we are, no idea where to go next-"

"Okay, we don't, but you get the point," Ness interrupted. "If we stick together and watch each other's backs, we'd have an easier time fending off those Starmen. We know that the Starmen have a limited detection range, so as long as we don't draw attention by using PSI within their radius, we should be okay for now."

Suddenly Ninten gave a loud exclamation that made all of them jump. With shaky hands, Ninten held up the Giygas's document in surprise. "I-I...It just reacted again to my PSI," he stammered, pointing at the sheet of paper.

Or what was now a vast, complicated map.

Ness's eyes widened. "Ninten! That's incredible!" He immediately snatched up the map. "This looks like a blueprint to some government building..."

"Giygas's research facility!" Ninten blurted out. "He told me that he owned one near the base of Holy Loly mountain. He manufactures his Starmen there."

"Then Paula, Poo, and Ana might be there too!" Ness exclaimed. "That's perfect!" He grimly set his cap straight. "Then it's settled. We're heading there first thing in the morning."

His proclamation was met with much unenthusiastic response.

"What?!" Ninten blurted out, almost toppling over into the fire in shock. "Tomorrow morning? Already?"

"That sounds like a great idea," Claus drawled sarcastically. "Let's wear ourselves out before landing on Giygas's front step. Just how stupid are you, Ness?"

"Ness...," Lucas began cautiously. "Don't you think we should stock up on essentials first?"

Ness randomly pelted them each with a banana. "Look, I have food. Now shut up and listen."

His three friends immediately fell silent at the familiar "_I-have-a-crazy-plan" _glint in his eye, and exchanged a knowing glance. The baseball captain's unorthodox ways of thinking and leadership had won them several matches in baseball. Even under impossible circumstances, Ness always seemed to know what to do, whipping out a miraculous solution from under his baseball cap. Normally this approach didn't work well with Claus, who tended to be very logical and practical-minded, but even he had to admit that Ness normally knew what he was doing.

Ness patted his bag. "Believe it or not, I actually have some supplies. My mom sent me to the grocery store to buy some food right before I was attacked by Starmen," Ness explained. He studied the map in his hands. "According to the map, getting to the research facility will take us two and a half days, tops. We can't go back to the city right now, and I have enough food to last us for the trip, so we can stock up on supplies at the research facility. The facility's close enough to the city to buy supplies, but far enough that any sane-minded person would store them," Ness finished triumphantly. "Besides, what better lead do we have?"

Ninten and Lucas shared a brief glance. Ness did raise a fair point...

"Since the kidnapped PSI users might even be there, we might as well check it out," Lucas finally stated softly.

"That's the spirit, Lucas!" Ness seemed to be completely invigorated by the sudden hope of freeing his friends. His violet eyes sparked with that determination that they knew no one could break. "And who knows? We might even find something useful about Giygas's motives!"

"Besides world domination?" Claus snorted, crossing his arms.

"I suppose. Why the heck not?" Ninten suddenly blurted out. The last thing he wanted to imagine was his uncle harming his friends, and he wasn't going to let that happen again. _At least, not on my watch._ The mention of Giygas seemed to have revitalized his determination, and Ninten grimly clenched his fists. "We have to find out what Giygas is up to, and stop his plans."

Three pairs of eyes flew expectantly on Claus. Realizing that he was outnumbered, the ginger scowled.

"Fine! Then don't come crying to me if one of you faints from hunger," Claus snapped sourly. He muttered under his breath. "Idiots...I can't believe we all go to the same high school."

"Claus, cheer up!" Ninten said brightly, swinging an arm around his shoulder. "We're technically expelled from school, so your reasoning is flawed! And just think about it..." Ninten stared dreamily into the distance. "Saving the universe from my crazy uncle, chasing wild Starmen, AND doing no homework...ah, _true bliss_!"

"Hooray," Claus deadpanned. "We're officially homeless highschool dropouts. I'm _so_ happy."

"...Oh no!" Lucas squeaked, clutching at his face. He looked downright horrified. "That means we can't go to college anymore!"

They all took one look at his terrified expression, then burst out laughing.

"Sorry, Lucas," Ness gasped, pounding a fist against the floor. "I can't, I-" He erupted into another fit of roaring laughter.

Ninten firmly set a reassuring hand on Lucas's shoulder. "That's okay, Lucas. Then we can all live fruitful lives working at the local fast food restaurant," Ninten announced again with a dreamy look in his eye. He dramatically swished a free hand, painting the fictitious scene in front of him. "Voila! Just imagine it: Burger-flipping, low wages, and awful customers aplenty!"

Claus rolled his eyes. "Seriously though, Lucas. Our lives are kind of at stake here, and you worry about getting our high school diploma."

"I'm not worried," Lucas blurted out defensively. His cheeks were tinged a bright pink. "I'm just afraid for our futures!"

Claus smirked. "_Sure_. Whatever you say."

"...But I really don't miss the homework," Lucas admitted, pondering with a smile.

Ness and Ninten released simultaneous, horrified gasps.

"Oh no! What have we _done_?" Ness cried out, waving his arms frantically.

"We've corrupted him!" Ninten lamented. He set the back of his palm against his forehead. "The world must be ending! Lucas actually _hates_ homework!"

"Don't worry, buddy, I'll save you!" Ness shouted heroically, swinging an arm around Lucas's other shoulder. The blonde stifled his laughs as the baseball captain whispered conspiratorially in his ear. "Once all this craziness is over, I promise you'll love homework again as soon as you know it!"

"Dude." Claus threw Ness and Ninten an annoyed glance. "Back off. You guys are literally smothering him."

"Aaaaaaand Mr. OverprotectiveBrother is back!" Ninten grinned gleefully. "Claus, stop being such a downer and join in on the fun!"

"No," he said bluntly. He rolled over on the ground. "I'm getting some sleep before we decide to do whatever hare-brained scheme Ness cooked up today. Good night."

"But Claussss," Ninten whined.

"Actually, he's right. We should get some sleep," Ness stated, glancing at his watch. "We're in for a long two days of hiking starting tomorrow."

Ninten yawned. "I guess you're right," he admitted before curling up against a corner. "'kay then, I'm turning in for the night."

"Likewise," Lucas finally responded, lying down on the cold, stone floor. "See you guys in the morning." Soon, all conversation was replaced with the crackling of the dying fire. All of them tried to wrestle away their restless worries, hoping that they would be given a brief reprieve from consciousness.

But as much as they tried, the sound of sleep was strangely absent that night.

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

Wiping the dirty rag against his brow, Flint wearily trudged inside the house. As he finally sat down after a long day of work, he helped himself to a refreshing cup of water. Gulping down the cold liquid in huge draughts, he finally leaned on the wooden dining chair with a sigh. Hopefully the extra pumpkins he had planted would fully mature before the cold of winter kicked in. He hoped his sons would be ecstatic to try out some homemade, piping-hot pumpkin soup for the chilly season.

...Speaking of which, the house was oddly quiet. Where were his sons?

Flint clambered upstairs slowly, and firmly knocked the closed bedroom door. When he heard no response, he gently turned the knob. To his surprise, two empty beds met his line of vision.

Trudging back down into the kitchen, Flint checked out each room in the house, and to his growing disquiet, still found no sign of his sons. The man frowned, stealing a glance at the clock. _Nine O' clock_...

They were definitely not with Alec; the elder man had embarked on a fishing trip and left about a week ago. Lucas and Claus should've been home by now. Judging from his quick mental calculations, Lucas and Claus would have ridden the city bus home, and the last bus from the school campus would've brought his boys back home by 6:00 PM at the very latest.

Perhaps Claus had gone straight to a friend's house to work on his solar car after his detention and neglected to tell his father. It wouldn't have been the first time.

But then, why would Lucas be absent as well? Claus, he could understand, but Lucas was not the type to leave others hanging. Flint's relationship with Claus was strained at best, but even so, his youngest son would always have some explanation for his twin's absence. And to add to that, Flint had heard strange rumors of students going missing from that same school.

But there was no way his sons would fall victim to those kidnappings...they were smart enough to arrive home before dark. Flint started to feel uneasy. _Something doesn't add up_...

Just as he reached that conclusion, Flint jumped when a series of sharp rapping sounds hit the front door. Heaving a sigh, Flint donned his dull brown boots and stowed away his worries as he briskly approached the entrance. _Just who the blazes had come to visit me at this late hour?_

"Hello?" he called out.

"Police Department here."

With a stunned jolt, Flint wrenched open the door. Instantly, he came face to face with two pairs of gleaming authoritative badges and official blue uniforms. The one with a rather pointed beard looked up at him indifferently, then consulted his notepad. "Are you Flint?"

He nodded silently in confusion.

"Husband to the deceased Hinawa, and father to the twins, Claus and Lucas?"

"Yes." Flint hesitated. That strange foreboding feeling was creeping back into his spine. "...Is something wrong, officers?"

The two officers exchanged a brief look of solemnity before turning their attention to him. "Sir...there was a fire at the local school. No one was injured or fatally wounded. However, according to our count, four students are gone and..." A deep breath. "Your sons are two of the missing."

Flint's breath hitched in his throat. _No, it can't be true!_

Stumbling backwards as though struck, Flint stared at the police officers, who still said nothing to contradict their statement. His trembling knees weakened and threatened to buckle, so Flint held his head in his hands and sank shakily into the nearby couch. First denial seized him, before devolving into panic.

_Please just let it be some cruel joke..._

The officer with the pointed beard softened slightly. "I'm sorry, sir," he said quietly, resting a consoling hand on his shoulder. But Flint didn't notice, already lost in his downward spiral of emotions.

_My sons are missing. _

This was a father's worst nightmare.

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

Lucas awoke abruptly with a startled gasp.

His heart hammering quickly in his ribcage, Lucas lay against the cool, hard stone, trying to calm his breathing. As the seconds ticked past, Lucas slowly felt his initial panic fade into the peaceful night. Glancing over, he was relieved to note that Ness and Ninten were finally out cold, dozing soundly against the floor.

_3:00 AM_, Ness's glowing watch read from the side.

Behind him, he registered Claus's low breathing. Quietly, Lucas scooted over next to him, drinking in his brother's presence. Claus was alive, and there was no need to worry. Shuddering, Lucas hugged himself, trying to blink the horrible nightmare from his eyes. But he couldn't forget the image of his brother being impaled through the stomach over...and over...and over. It felt like the dream was branded to his eyelids, and he was scared to sleep. Resigning himself to another day of insomnia, Lucas stared up at the rocky cave ceiling.

"Lucas?" Claus stirred on the ground, blinking the sleep from his eyes. He yawned groggily, stretching his lanky arms out like a cat. "Why are you up so early?"

Sometimes, Lucas thought that it was both a blessing and a curse that Claus was a _very_ sensitive sleeper. For one, Lucas slept like a dead rock; if it weren't for his early-rising brother, he probably might have missed school a couple of times. On the other hand, that also meant Claus woke up easily at any disturbance. Even if someone had opened their bedroom door without as much as a creak, Claus would leap out of bed, wide-awake and ready to go.

"Sorry, Claus," Lucas murmured, feeling guilty. He shifted over. "I didn't mean to wake you."

Claus waved his hand flippantly. "It's fine. You didn't wake me; I was still trying to sleep." Icy blue eyes bored into his. "So, what's wrong?"

"Nothing really. I think the floor was just too cold," Lucas lied lamely, averting his eyes. He internally winced as another pang of guilt flashed through his mind.

But Claus saw through his facade in a heartbeat. "Dude," he murmured, patting the ground next to him. "If it's another nightmare, I won't judge."

Lucas's cheeks burned. "No, it's not, Claus," he said quietly. He still hadn't talked to his brother about this particular nightmare yet, and he wasn't sure if he was ready to tell Claus now. Declining the offered space, Lucas crawled over to the other side of the cave and lay down. "The air's a lot warmer at this end," Lucas lied. "I'm fine. Go to sleep."

Claus rolled his eyes at his brother's back. "Honestly, you can seriously be as stubborn as hell."

_I want to be brave like you. I want to be strong like you, _Lucas wanted to say. _I don't want you to worry about me. I'm just a dead weight, and I'm not worth the trouble. _But how was he supposed to say that out loud? Lucas felt utterly useless, but if he admitted it, Claus would only vehemently shoot the comment back down.

So Lucas said nothing, and Claus remained silent. Thinking that his twin brother had finally given up his interrogation, Lucas closed his eyes, hoping for sweeter dreams.

But suddenly, he felt a pair of arms tightly clamp around his chest, and something wet dampened the back of his shirt. Wide-eyed in surprise, Lucas froze. "Claus?"

For several seconds, there was only the sound of heavy breathing. Then after a moment of hesitation, Claus stuttered shakily. "Lucas, y-you have no idea...when Giygas attacked us yesterday...I-" he suddenly cut himself off very quickly.

"...Claus? Are you okay?" Lucas whispered rolling over. For a second, Claus looked scared - even _frightened -_ but Lucas must have been imagining it, because almost immediately the emotionless mask flitted back into place.

"You're right, the air is a lot warmer here," Claus said abruptly, turning over on his side. "Night, Lucas."

For some reason, Lucas felt his heart grow heavier. "Good night, Claus," he whispered, and sank back under turbulent dreams.


	14. Arc II, Chapter 14: The Refugees

**Author's Note:**

**Heya guys! Once again****, thank you for your patience. :) This chapter is pretty long, but I hope it's well worth the wait. I realized that I don't have any Lucas-centric chapters, so I decided to give him some time to shine. **

**I was planning to cover more on the mechanics of telepathy and and limitations of PSI in this chapter, but took it out at the last minute. It's okay though; we'll cover the rest soon enough. ****I also think that my subconscious felt guilty for the pain and suffering I've been giving all the characters, so enjoy some friendship fluff while it lasts. ****Plus, I was also hoping to try my hand to practice writing humor. So bear with me while I try (and fail) to make people smile. :) **

**Besides, if anyone asks, I like cliff-hangers. Literally speaking. ;) And I may or may not have borrowed an Avatar reference just because. *Shifts eyes guiltily***

**Now your reviews in chronological order!**

**ConnorTheSpelingPro****: Yeah, Chapter 13 had a lot going on. xD We'll be seeing quite a bit of Giygas in the future chapters...and I love writing about dramatic people :D And no, don't cry! ;_; Claus will be okay...probably. Thanks, but haha I think you give me more credit than the story's worth. xD This chapter took forever to write because...writer's block. :( **

**Guest****: Thank you. :)**

**PK LoveGamma: Haha you must have read this story while I was still taking exams. xD I took some time off Fanfiction for month to study. But thanks. :) Believe it or not, writing is one of my weak points, and I decided to write Fanfiction to improve my Engleesh. ;) And I feel the same; I wish I can toss out chapter after chapter every single day, but each one takes me a so much time to finish. This is probably my fastest pace. AHM SO SLOW. DX But hey, whenever you get an idea, don't feel shy to write! That's what we're all here for. :)**

**Guest: Thanks. :) Haha writing crack!fic in the wee hours of the morning is probably not the best idea though. xD And don't worry, Lucas will be fine...probably. **

**DarkFoxKit: Yep. I love writing sibling-sibling fluff/angst, and I'm just happy that Ness and Ninten finally figured everything out. :) Took them _ages_, haha. And poor Ninten. It's not everyday you realize that your supposedly evil Calculus teacher is your uncle. DX *Shudders***

**F-f-fire: Ah thanks! *Bashfully melts into floor* You guys are all making me feel flustered; I'm here because I want to improve my writing skills. :) But btw, there's no need for me to write a crack!fic for a Flint v. Giygas battle, because Flint would win, hands down. FLINT IS CHUCK NORRIS. ****Lovin' that reference to the Mother 3 song, by the way. ;) **

**FalconerET: Having never actually played any of the games myself, I had to go to Earthbound Wiki (Shhh don't tell anyone) and search up some names and places. To be fair, the description of Holy Loly Mountain fit the context perfectly, and I thought, _Why not?_ And hooray for cliche bad guys sitting in a dark room talking alone even though nobody is listening to their Shakespearean soliloquy xD**

**OXYD: Thanks, I'm happy to be back too! :) And the adventure's just getting started ;)**

**Angel-woof: Oh! You didn't miss anything at all. :) Ninten came in time to help Ness, and Ness teleported them to the school. I did write a segment for this, but erased it because (a) it sounded redundant and (b) chapter 13 is too long. :( Sometimes you have to cut out some ideas to get the plot moving. And yeah, sorry, I made everyone feel angsty last chapter. D: Hopefully this chapter lightens things up a little bit before things get dark again...*Looks at future chapters* Yeah. And dude, good luck in Biochem. :)**

**Gage:**** S****upercalifragilisticexpialidocious. ;)**

**Guest:****Yeah, sorry, Flint. D: I cause you a lot of pain. And as for if going to Holy Loly Mountain was the right choice...we'll see. ;) **

**Readergirl27: Thank you. :) We will be seeing another glimpse of Flint in a later chapter (I'm guessing somewhere around chapter 16?). And I can totally relate; I can use Lucas's PK Thunder decently in PM, but in Brawl... :(**

**DistorterOfPhase: Thanks! And hey, welcome to the Fanfiction website! :D I do love using subtle references, and I'm glad you caught a few. :) And no sweat; hooray for questions! Seriously though, you've hit the jackpot...BECAUSE I WILL ANSWER ALL OF THEM. B)**

**(1) Ness's parent(s) will be making an appearance at a later time (~chapter 16?)**

**(2) Absolutely (nice video game reference there :D). But it'll take the boys a _long_ time to confirm Giygas's plans.**

**(3) Pokey will make a come-back (Right now ~chp 18, but give or take one/two chapters).**

**[Insert Appropriate Disclaimer Here]**

* * *

><p><strong><span>Additional Disclaimer<span>: This chapter may contain scenes that butt-hurt people might find offensive (just kidding). On a related note, in case you _are_ offended by a sensitive topic in this chapter (i.e. pedophilia, frying pans, etc.), no ill-will was intended.**

* * *

><p><strong><span>Setting<span>:**** _Past_.**

The golden envelope neatly sat on the pristine windowsill.

Soft opera music filtered into the air from his phone: _Habenera _by Carmen. Clad in casual jeans and a simple t-shirt, Lucas lay in bed, staring intently at the dust-covered ceiling. But even as he tried to ignore it, the prestigious envelope always seemed to draw in his eyes like a heavy magnet. Sinking in conflicted turmoil, Lucas did his best to drink in the music and escape from reality.

With about a week of summer break left before high school, he and Claus had headed over to the local supermarket to buy "Back-to-School" supplies. Lugging the plastic bags of college-ruled paper and number 2 pencils back into the house, Lucas was taken aback with surprise when Claus suddenly re-materialized at the bottom of the stairs with a strange envelope in his hand.

"This is for you," Claus called up, quirking an eyebrow curiously. "It's from the Mayor of Summers."

"...The Mayor of _Summers?"_

The blond dumbly reached for the golden envelope, fingering the pretentious red seal and ornate ink lettering. Why would someone of such high political importance contact _him_ with a hand-written letter?

"Are you sure that this isn't a prank?"

"That's what I thought too, but the red seal's genuine," Claus pointed out. He nudged his nervous brother. "C'mon, open it so we can read what it says!"

Lucas unfolded the envelope with a penknife. Plopping its contents open, the twins silently read the letter together. The feeling of awe and stupefied astonishment only increased as their eyes traveled farther down the elegant scroll of penmanship.

_To one Mr. Lucas:_

_You are most likely surprised that I have sent to you this letter, handwritten no less. But as a deep lover of music, I think that it is fitting for me to address this envelope to you in person. _

_I have always been quite fond of the DCMC. While you did not perform in any of their concerts, I do remember you as the young mentee who had often tagged along with Lucky. __My curiosity was sparked when I was informed of your vocal accomplishments, and in last April, I attended your international performance of Nella Fantasia in Eagleland under a pseudo-persona. Your interpretation of opera highly impressed me, and thus, s__peaking not as a Mayor but rather as a passionate connoisseur of the vocal arts, I find myself writing to you with a humble request._

_Although internal affairs are currently keeping me busy, I would be honored if you can provide a solo rendition of Nella Fantasia during the International Summers Music Festival in June next year. I will pay for your air fare and accommodations, and this generous offer will also be extended to any guests of your choosing. This includes your family and friends. As you know very well, DCMC has always been invited annually to perform at the festival, and we welcome you both with open arms. _

_You are also free to decline this proposition. However, if you wish to attend, you must __mail me your response by the 31st of December. __If you accept my invitation, more details will be sent to you by my personal receptionist._

_Eagerly awaiting your response,  
><em>_The Mayor of Summers__  
><em>

"Holy crap, Lucas," Claus breathed. "This is an amazing opportunity."

"Oh. Wow." The shell-shocked blond stared at the golden envelope less eagerly. "That's...great."

Claus frowned. "What's wrong?"

Lucas looked up from the letter clutched in his hands. "The festival's going to be held next June."

"So?"

"You wouldn't be able to attend," Lucas said quietly. "You're leaving for your National Biomedical Engineering Program in May, and you won't be back until mid-July."

Claus's face fell. "Oh bummer, I totally forgot."

"I don't know if I can accept this..."

But Claus quickly set an encouraging hand on his brother's shoulder. "Hey. It's okay, Lucas. DCMC performs at that festival every year! I bet Duster's going too, right?"

"I don't think so. At least, not this year." Lucas swallowed hard. "His limp acted up again, so the doctor advised him not to travel for around a year or two."

It was a tough decision.

On one hand, Lucas absolutely _loved_ to sing. Duster had also told him many exciting tales about Summers, and Lucas had never been to Country of Chommo before. He couldn't deny that the prospect of visiting Chommo sent a thrill down his toes.

On the other hand, if Lucas accepted the Mayor's offer, he would not only be preparing himself for another international concert, but he would also be attending it by himself. For the first time, Lucas would truly be alone.

It was a huge problem. Lucas still had trouble with crippling stage fright despite his extraordinary musical talent. He barely managed to overcome it because Claus or Duster had always been present at his performances, throwing him encouraging looks from the front row. Even thinking about the many pairs of judgemental eyes made Lucas cringe, and he started to panic, tasting sour bile in his mouth. _I can't do this. It's too much..._

"What should I do?" Lucas flustered. "What do _you_ want me to do, Claus?"

The ginger opened his mouth, then closed it, shaking his head. "It's your choice, not mine." He shrugged. "Do what you wanna do."

"Don't say that, Claus! Tell me! What d'you think I should do?!"

"I'm not telling you what to do."

"But-"

"No," Claus said flatly. He narrowed his eyes. "The last time you promised, you ended up following exactly what I said. I'm staying out of this one."

"I swear I won't this time!" Lucas clutched at his head, feeling the symptoms of another panic attack. "I really don't know if I can can do this alone, Claus, please, you've got to help me, you can't leave me alone again-"

Claus looked torn. He bit his lip. "Well...I could turn down my acceptance to the summer program. I mean, I can always reapply next year..."

"No," Lucas immediately responded. He knew how competitive the summer program was, and Claus had been dying to attend it since sixth grade. To take that opportunity away from Claus was not only selfish, but also undoubtedly cruel. "You've been wanting to attend that thing for ages. I can't do that to you."

Claus sighed, rubbing his eyes. "I don't see why this is so difficult, Lucas. You either go, or you don't. It's as simple as that."

Lucas shifted his eyes to the ground. "...I wish I were brave like you," he said quietly.

Claus softened uncharacteristically. He plopped onto the stairs right next to his brother. "Lucas, don't be shy to do what you want," he said gently. "Forget worrying about me or about anybody else. You're braver than you think you are, and I know that you'll make the right choice in the end."

So time ticked by. Lucas started his first year of high school. The season of Summer gave in to the cool crispness of Autumn. Week after week passed, yet the golden envelope still lay neglected on the windowsill.

_I know that you'll make the right choice in the end._

But what was the right choice?

Lucas still didn't know.

* * *

><p><strong><span>Setting<span>: Present day.**

Lucas's eyes fluttered open to soft, distant music. There was a cold emptiness present in the cave; his brother was missing, and another glance proved that he was completely alone.

Yet, Lucas wasn't alarmed. He could sense somebody else close by, and a simple mental scan proved his suspicions.

Stifling a yawn, Lucas stumbled outside, squinting as sunlight streamed into his eyes. Blearily, he made his way towards a rather large boulder. A familiar figure sat on the very top, fiddling with something in his fingers. The cheerful tooting of a wind instrument hit his ears again, and then a discordant note shattered the smooth melody.

"Aw, darn," Ninten swore. He threw his ocarina a small glare. "Sure, let the asthmatic person play a wind instrument. 'It'll be fun,' they said. Hah!" Ninten whirled around with a wide grin. "Tell me, Lucas! Amiright?"

How Ninten was so quirky all the time, Lucas hadn't the foggiest idea. The Podunk teen was happy-go-lucky in the same way that Ness was serious and down-to-earth. His light-hearted optimism also contrasted with Claus's heavy skepticism, and it didn't take a genius to figure out why the two of them squabbled every day. Lucas supposed that it made sense though; Ninten had lived a relatively sheltered family life compared to the rest of them.

At least, before they realized Giygas was his uncle.

It had hit them hard. Even now, Lucas felt shame prickle his veins uncomfortably. He remembered how easily Giygas had blackmailed his brother by using him as bait. Ness and Claus were probably wrestling with their own internal demons, and Lucas couldn't even imagine what Ninten was going through. Lucas blinked, silently sympathizing with the Podunk teen.

But stewing over heavy thoughts was the last thing Lucas had wanted to do right now, and _gods,_ _he really couldn't __think this early in the morning._

Shaking his head, Lucas rubbed at his eyes lazily. "Morning, 'Ten."

Lucas let his eyes drift around curiously, and Ninten caught the silent question. "Claus and Ness are refilling our empty water bottles at the nearby spring. Don't worry; they'll be back soon."

Ninten began tooting out another song on his ocarina that sounded suspiciously like _Yankee Doodle_. Appreciating the music, Lucas closed his eyes, drinking in the sweet tune. "You play well."

Ninten threw him a cocky smile. "Thanks. My parents sicced the ocarina on me in sixth grade, but I think I'm starting to like it." His brown eyes brightened with sudden hint of curiosity. "Claus says that you can sing really, really well."

Lucas shrugged, averting his eyes. "I'm all right."

Ninten grinned. "Says the person who internationally performed _Nella Fantasia_ last Spring. I heard that it was aired live on television. Apparently, you're an opera prodigy."

Lucas laughed. "It's really not a big deal," he said modestly.

"Hey! That gives me an idea!" Ninten exclaimed. He bolted upright. "You sing, and I'll play along with my ocarina! We should totally do a duet!"

"Wait! R-R-Right now?" Lucas stammered, flushing a bright crimson in embarrassment. "But-"

"Yeah, now!" Ninten's grin widened. "Why not?"

"I'm really not _that_ good, Ninten." Lucas flustered in a frantic attempt to change his friend's mind. "Aren't Ness and Claus returning soon? We'd better get going-"

"They left for the spring like a minute ago. We have plenty of time!"

When Lucas still looked uncertain, Ninten put his whining skills to the test. "Oh, come on, Lucas! I bet you wanna hear the ocarina again, don't you?" he wheedled, noticing the quiet spark of interest in his friend's eyes; Lucas couldn't resist anything when it came to music.

And indeed Ninten knew him too well. Despite his trepidation, Lucas did want to hear the ocarina again; it produced a rather quaint, yet charming sound.

"A simple duet sounds nice," the blond finally admitted, giving in to the suggestion.

"Hmm...then we'll gotta choose a song both of us know well..." Ninten rubbed his head thoughtfully, muttering several names under his breath, then perked up at a sudden thought. "How 'bout _Pollyanna_?"

"Sounds good."

"Composed by Catherine Warwick?"

Lucas nodded nervously in response.

Ninten whooped excitedly. "All right! Welp, here goes nothing!" The Podunk teen threw Lucas a stern look. "Don't screw up on me too many times, will ya?" he joked cheekily, trying to calm his friend down. "I might be amazing, but I'm still a poor, asthmatic soul."

His teasing managed to invoke a small smile from Lucas. "You, a poor, asthmatic soul?"

Ninten winked roguishly. "Yeah. Now stop stalling, I'm gonna start."

Within seconds, the Podunk teen began to play, eagerly piping out the simple, beginning notes. The smooth, glassy ocarina in his hands reflected against the sun's rays in a glowing halo of light. As Ninten approached closer to the opening lyrics, he noted Lucas's stiff shoulders and wary posture.

_Did __I push him too hard? _Ninten wondered guiltily, and he almost considered stopping right there and then.

He was glad that he didn't.

Nothing could've prepared him for the masterpiece of heart-wrenching emotion. As soon as the starting tune had escaped from Lucas's lips, it had completely erased all shred of doubt from Ninten's mind. Seriously, his eyes must've been lying to him, because there was _no way_ that this boy next to him was the same shy blond who would fluster over an untied shoelace.

But Ninten's eyes weren't deceiving him. Lucas had actually started singing - not murmuring quietly under his breath or humming softly, but _singing confidently_ - for real. A thousand emotions danced across Lucas's sky-blue eyes as the clear, sharp tune burst from his mouth, and the soft, sweet melody quavered into the misty, cold air.

_No wonder people say he's a singing prodigy, _Ninten thought, wide-eyed. He had heard of Lucas's extraordinary prowess, but had never witnessed the twin's performance first-hand. The Podunk teen didn't want to describe the sound without sounding cliche, but quite honestly, _it was pretty darn good._

He couldn't tell if it was the way his voice floated effortlessly into the air, or because of the oddly misty expression in Lucas's eyes, but Ninten blinked, and a strange feeling clogged his throat.

Then Lucas faltered, throwing him a hesitant look, and Ninten realized that his mouth had been agape this entire time. Hastily whipping out his trusty ocarina in an attempt to hide his embarrassment, Ninten placed the clear, glassy instrument to his lips. Within seconds, the smooth, musical piping layered the soft lyrics in unforgettable harmony.

The hopeful melody washed over them, flowing and retracting like an ocean wave. Time seemed to stretch, and the song banished all of their worries, even if only for that one moment of peace. Ninten felt happy and content; Gone was the guilt, gone was the pain...All that mattered now was neither the past nor the future, but the _present_, and they were just two normal boys making sweet music outside on an ordinary Friday morning.

But even all good things came to an end. As the magical wisps of sound died, the final, everlasting note shivered in mid-air before fading into the rising dawn. There was an appreciative pause as both of them reveled in the last echoes of the disappearing song, then there was nothing but blissful silence.

Ninten threw Lucas a skeptical glance. "_It's not a big deal_?" the Podunk teen quoted, echoing the blond's previous words.

Maybe it was just the funny way Ninten was waggling his eyebrows, but Lucas struggled to bite back a laugh. His expression caused Ninten to emit an obnoxiously loud snort - then both of them were doubling over, cackling loudly underneath the rising sun.

"Why are we laughing?" Lucas gasped before he was caught by another onslaught of giggles.

Ninten wiped a tear from his eye. "You looked at me all funny!" he exclaimed.

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"That's only 'cause you snorted!"

"No, I didn't!" Ninten wailed, flailing his arms wildly into the air. "Stop laughing!" he snapped, but he only ended up making Lucas laugh harder.

"I can't help it! You...y-you..." Lucas managed to say before giving into another wave of hilarity.

Ninten pouted. "And I thought Claus was a bad influence."

"I'll be sure to tell him that," Lucas noted with a grin.

Knowing that Lucas wasn't serious, Ninten rolled his eyes. "Doesn't make a difference anyways. Claus already hates my guts." He threw Lucas a satisfied smile. "Seriously though, we make an _awesome_ duet. We should do this more often!"

"Definitely," Lucas marveled, staring at the strange ocarina in admiration. Music seemed to have opened up the quiet, timid teen, and his blue eyes sparkled eagerly. "I've only heard it once before, but your ocarina sounds really amazing."

"Oh, this baby? It's been in my family for a long time." Grinning, Ninten patted his ocarina carefully back into his pocket. "It's kind of weird-looking, but it really isn't too hard to get a hang of." He whistled loudly. "But talk about that pro-level singing. How did you learn to sing like that?"

Lucas suddenly froze. A cold feeling tingled down his spine.

_How did you learn to sing like that?_

Lucas could never forget how much his mother had loved music. Even in his earliest childhood memories, Hinawa was there, teaching him how to sing. His first music lesson still stayed fresh in his mind, and he could picture the scene with ease.

_Hinawa hummed the lyrics to You are My Sunshine, and the twins proudly chirped along. __As soon as they finished, Claus punched a hand into the air. _

_"See, I told you we could sing the Sunshine song!" Claus boasted ecstatically._

_Lucas looked down shyly. "I got a word wrong," he said in mortification._

_"Haha! Lucas got a word wrong!" his brother teased, poking his side. _

_"It was just one word," Lucas whined defensively, feeling his cheeks flush. _

_"So? You still got it wrong!" Claus pointed out bluntly, and Lucas felt his eyes water._

_"Claus," Hinawa rebuked sternly. _

_Claus sulked. __"Sorry," he muttered._

_Lucas averted his eyes. "I really didn't mean to make a mistake." Feeling ashamed, he uncomfortably fidgeted on the spot. "I'm sorry I ruined the song..."_

_"Lucas, you have nothing to apologize for," Hinawa said firmly. She embraced him in a warm hug. "You are truly blessed to have such a wonderful voice," she whispered. "Music is the language of love, and you have such a pure heart."_

_Then Claus had vied for her attention, pouting that he could sing just as well._

Lucas stifled a laugh. _Claus had never gotten sick of singing the "Sunshine song" over and over again._

But then_ it _had happened. Lucas felt a sick jolt in his stomach as he remembered the aftereffects of Hinawa's death. Despair and depression had sunk into the household, rotting and simmering in a putrid concoction of grief. What was once filled with vibrant lyrics and warm song was now replaced with cold, dead silence.

Full of anger and bitterness towards the world, Claus had shunned music, and Lucas painfully watched as his older brother tightly closed the doors to his now-frigid heart. Countless times afterwards, Lucas had begged and pleaded - _please, Claus, can we sing the Sunshine song together, please just this once - _but Claus had always refused.

_For the last time, I said no, Lucas!_ Claus had snapped with puffy, red-rimmed eyes. _It just doesn't sound the same anymore...Not without mom._

Claus never sang the Sunshine song again.

But Lucas had stubbornly refused to give up singing, for singing was a reminder of his dead mother that he could keep alive. So he persisted, staying up late at night to memorize songs by heart, obsessively listening to the radio in the morning, and pouring through countless tutorial after tutorial. Music quickly became his solace, and singing was how Lucas expressed the emotions he pent up in his heart.

Then one fateful day, his elementary choir teacher had miraculously caught him singing quietly in the boy's bathroom, and the astonished woman had immediately referred him to a former student. While polite and considerate, the former student, who had been a professional bassist at the time, had doubted her claims that Lucas was a singing prodigy.

But one sample performance had quickly convinced him otherwise.

_"Lucas, right?" the student asked softly. "I'm sorry to have doubted you." He eyed Lucas curiously. "How did you learn to sing like that?"_

_"My mom taught me," Lucas whispered shyly, scuffing his shoe on the tiled floor._

_"Did you have any prior tutoring?" The teen stared at him in astonishment when Lucas had silently shaken his head. "That's quite an impressive feat."_

_Lucas flushed and stared at his shoes. "I was lucky, sir," he said quietly._

_The man chuckled as if enjoying a private joke. "So am I. Call me Duster, kid." Rubbing his lame leg sheepishly, the Duster threw him an uncertain look. "Well, uh, Lucas...My band is still kind of new, and I dunno if rock's your thing, but I'll be happy to give you private tutoring either way. I can't sing, but me and the guys know a thing or two about music."_

Lucas had eagerly accepted Duster's offer, and ever since then, Duster had taken him under his wing as a mentee. Every week, Lucas would practice a song he had prepared beforehand, and Duster would listen, quietly adding in his feedback at the very end of his performance. Together, they had thoroughly studied all kinds of genres from modern pop to classic rock, and after intense, rigorous hours of training, Lucas had finally discovered his talent in opera.

Duster had taken him around the world in various DCMC concerts, and he - not Flint - had traveled to all of Lucas's solo performances. Just the presence of the man seemed to alleviate Lucas's stage fright, if only by a little. Despite acting as a mentor or chaperone though, Duster was someone Lucas could rely on, a special surrogate uncle.

And Duster had been there for him, especially when Claus had...

When Claus had...

...

Lucas's stomach clenched unpleasantly at the horrible memories, then shook his head. _The past is the past. I've gotta move on._

"Umm, Lucas?"

Lucas blinked.

Ninten was staring at him, waving a hand in front of his face. "Dude, you were zoning out," he joked, but his quirky tone failed to mask his worried expression. "Are you feeling okay?"

The blond jolted in surprise. "Sorry, Ninten," Lucas responded, flashing him a warm smile. "I was just thinking about-"

There was a loud crunch of gravel, and both of them jumped. A disgruntled Claus had barged through the trees, followed quickly by a weary-looking Ness. Neither of them looked very happy. Lucas faltered, worriedly noting their flushed faces and troubled expressions. However, upon catching his brother's worried look, Claus immediately wiped the frown off from his face.

"We're back," Claus loudly cut in rather unnecessarily. Carelessly dropping the armful of filled water bottles onto the ground, Claus started stuffing them vigorously into Ness's bag. "A little help here, Lucas?" he asked, albeit a little bluntly.

Startled, Lucas nearly fell over in shock. "Right," the blond said quietly, throwing Ninten an apologetic glance before hurrying over to help his brother. Before Ninten could ask what was wrong, a frowning Ness had marched over to him with a map in one hand, drawing an end to any idle chatter.

Once again, a heavy burden had settled over their heads, and Ninten grimly took in Ness's discussion with uncharacteristic seriousness. The fleeting reprieve of light-heartedness and laughter was finally over.

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

What was supposed to be two and a half days of simple walking quickly turned into an endless, twisted nightmare.

The putrid humidity suffocated their mouths and noses, but the uncomfortably warm weather was the least of their worries. Scraping scales slithered and eerie moans echoed through the mist. Something big gave a loud, distorted _caw_ in the distance, and the alien screech sent a shiver down their spines.

In their haste to reach Giygas, all of them had forgotten why the wilderness had been classified "out-of-bounds." After the corrupted Pig-mask reign had collapsed some 150 years ago, their mutated chimaeras had all but escaped into the surrounding environment. At first, no one had been worried; as freakish, maladapted mutations of nature, it seemed logical to conclude that the chimaeras would die off easily.

But instead, the chimaeras had thrived, reproducing at an alarming rate with the already-dangerous native animals and plants. The city had initially tried to eradicate all the chimaeras, but soon ceased their operations when each one ended in tragic failure. As if sensing danger, the chimaeras warily shied away from the city, feeling more at home in the deep heart of the mountain range. This meant that anyone sane avoided the wilderness unless they had a good reason not to, and of the many bumbling idiots who had foolishly ventured in unprepared, none had returned alive.

While the boys hadn't received any major injuries, it was only a matter of time before someone did. They were beginning to bump into some of the rather dangerous inhabitants of the area. Ness had almost been mushroomized, and Claus had nearly stepped on a passing slitherhen. Still, except for the odd cattlesnake or two, nothing had purposely gone out of its way to attack them.

However, their luck ran out on Day Three.

"Is it gone?" Ness whispered, tensing as he gripped his baseball bat. His other three companions huddled nearby behind a ring of shrubs.

Ninten closed his eyes for a few seconds, then shook his head. "I can't tell," he muttered back in frustration. "It's prowling just out of my telepathic range."

"You've got to be kidding me," Claus said loudly before he was hastily bombarded by the collective '_It's going to hear us'_ and '_SHHH_.' Rolling his eyes, the ginger immediately switched to telepathy. _So remind me. Why _exactly_ are we hiding?_

_Because we have no idea where the mecha-lion is, _Lucas answered fearfully. _If Ninten didn't read its mind, we wouldn't have known that its tail was poisonous_.

Claus looked outraged. _That thing's already nicked most of our food! What more does it want?_

_I think it's just hungry and wants to eat us, _Ninten suggested helpfully, shifting his weight. A hint of amusement seeped into his thoughts. _Come to think of it, that thing completely scarfed down our ginger-flavored beef jerky. Careful, Claus; it might be after you next._

_Haha. Very funny, Ninten._

_Hey, what can I say?_ Ninten grinned. _I'm a natural comedian._

_Guys, talk later when a bloodthirsty carnivore isn't on our heels, _Ness interrupted. He dug into his bag, then shoved an object into the hands of a surprised Ninten. _That chimaera snapped your stick, and I don't have any other weapons. Take this for now._

Ninten blanched. _Oh come on, Ness! Don't you have anything else?_

_I have my yo-yo._

Sighing regretfully, Ninten took the offered "weapon." _Thanks. At least it's better than nothing._ He looked down glumly. _I really wish I'd brought my baseball bat._

_Looking classy there, Ninten,_ Claus drawled.

_Shut it, gingersnaps, _Ninten narrowed his eyes and defensively gripped the handle of his frying pan. _Don't diss the glory of such a pan-tastic weapon._

Claus face-palmed. _No, Ninten. Just no. _

The other boy opened his mouth to say another pun, but was immediately cut to the chase.

_Why do I get the feeling that we're being watched? _Lucas interrupted nervously.

_What? _The Podunk teen frowned, then concentrated his telepathy outwards. _Relax, Lucas, there's nothing near us right no__- _Ninten suddenly retracted his mind in alarm. "Holy mother of French Fries!"

_Clang_!

Ninten yelped as sharpened claws slashed in his direction, rebounding noisily off his frying pan. Brown eyes shot open to the size of dinner plates as the mecha-lion eyed him hungrily.

Ninten gave an audible gulp. "Help, please?"

"Over here, ugly!" Ness yelled, ferociously swinging his bat.

_SMASH!_

"GGGRRRRRAAUUUUUUUUUUUGH!"

"I think you just made it angrier, Ness!" Lucas shouted as the mecha-lion violently thrashed and yowled in pain.

Claus had had enough. "Fuck this." The ginger swiped his finger through the air. "PK Thun-"

"NO!" Ness bellowed, batting away the chimaera's poisonous tail. "We're too close to the research facility! Do you _want_ to attract Starmen?"

"Face it, Ness!" Claus snarled, rolling under another vicious swipe of claws. He could feel the serrated daggers whistling past his ear. "You said we can use our PSI under "life-threatening situations." If this isn't life-threatening, then what is?!"

The mecha-lion glowered at them through fizzling eye sockets. Suddenly, it opened its blue maw wide, and the only warning they got was a flash of red amidst the shining white teeth-

"DUCK!" Ness yelled.

A giant fireball the size of a basketball rocketed over their heads with a screaming s_wwweeeeee! _As the molten projectile flew past, Claus could feel the heat of the giant fireball sear his bare skin, crisping up the hairs of his underarms nicely.

With a screeching roar, the mecha-lion tensed its hind-muscles, then sprung forward, completely leaping over their heads. The word _leaped_ didn't even do it justice; the mecha lion almost _soared _through the air before landing right behind a startled Ness.

"NESS!" Lucas screamed in alarm, even though he knew that it was too late. "Look out!"

Ness didn't think twice. He dropped to the ground just as the mecha-lion snaked forward and snapped its jaws. Its maw closed around Ness's bag, and as the mecha-lion raised its head, Ness was helplessly lifted up into the air. Shouting and struggling to extricate himself from its grip, Ness shuddered as the hot, stinging breath hit his exposed skin.

_CLASH!_

"Leave him alone, you mangy piece of fur!" Ninten bellowed, striking the mecha-lion upside the head with the frying pan. The sudden jolt managed to shake Ness free, and he tumbled onto the ground. Emitting a bloodcurdling howl, the mecha-lion bounded away into the forest with Ness's bag still clutched in its feral teeth.

Spitting out dirt, Ness leaped to his feet. "Hey! GIVE BACK MY BAG!" he thundered angrily. Immediately, he chased after it in a murderous frenzy, looking ready to clobber the furry feline to bits.

"I'm not letting it get away after giving us all that crap!" Claus snarled, then sprinted after Ness in hot pursuit.

"Hang on, we shouldn't-" Lucas started, but the two boys had already disappeared into the thick foliage.

Lucas and Ninten shared an uneasy look. "Come on, Lucas," Ninten finally broke out. "We'd better catch up to them before they do something stupid." The Podunk teen rushed into the foliage with a yell. "Guys! Wait up!"

Feet pounding through the scattered greenery, Lucas could barely spot Ninten's sneakers in front of his vision. Trees weaved in and out, branches scratched at his face. Gasping and panting for breath, Lucas skidded to a stop at a forked pathway. Ninten's striped shirt disappeared to his left, and just as Lucas tried to follow, a strange noise caught his attention.

"**DAKOTA**."

Lucas stumbled to a halt. That _definitely _didn't sound like a mecha-lion.

"Who's there?" Lucas called out warily. Gripping his stick like a neanderthal club, he uncertainly shuffled towards the right pathway.

Suddenly his shoe slipped on a particularly wet patch of grass, and Lucas unceremoniously tumbled down the rocky slope at a dizzying speed. He yelled in shock as he slid down the path without warning. In an act of desperation, Lucas jabbed out his left leg against the rocky wall, and his foot caught on a stray crevice. Immediately, his body jerked to a sudden dizzying halt.

Grimacing, Lucas slowly crawled upright, then yelped when an unexpected pain stabbed through his ankle. _Crap, __I think the fall twisted my ankle…_

He raised his head, drinking in his surroundings. The first thing that caught his eye was a huge, rather gnarled apple tree sticking out at an odd angle like the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Its thick roots were embedded deeply into the cliff-side, but the heavy weight of fruit forced its branches to sway precariously over open air.

Then Lucas realized that he was literally sitting inches away from a treacherous drop-off.

Horrified, he scooted backwards to safety. His breath caught in his throat as he watched some dislodged pebbles clatter off the edge and plunge into the deep, endless chasm. Internally, Lucas berated himself for acting so recklessly. _That was way too close for comfort;_ _I could've plummeted off to my death._

"**Help?**"

Lucas whirled around in alarm. There it was again, that strange, alien voice.

"Hello?" Lucas started shyly, wary eyes flitting around for the source of the mysterious voice.

There was a pause, then the slightly muffled voice called out again. "**Am stuck.**"

It was coming from the contorted apple tree.

Bewildered, Lucas slowly crawled over to the tree trunk, careful not to strain his already-twisted ankle. Peering through the branches, he squinted upwards through the leaves in search of the mysterious voice. A sudden flicker of motion caught his eye, and then he spotted it.

And what a strange creature it was too. It had rather short, stubby legs and a comically large nose. The strange creature wiggled in vain within the twisted brambles of the apple tree, and the sight might have been funnier if it hadn't been hanging over a gaping chasm.

Sensing him, the creature looked up, then kicked its stubby feet gleefully. The apple tree swung treacherously back and forth. "**Found me, Ding!**"

Lucas swallowed hard, tentatively placing a hand on the distorted bark. _I've climbed apple trees before, but this one looks dangerously weak…_

The creature glanced up at him in a pitiful plea. "**Help me? Yes? No? Maybe so**?"

Torn, Lucas stared at it. _I can't just leave it hanging here, but I don't know if the tree can support my weight...what should I do? _Panic settled in, clawing at his insides.

Then a sudden thought struck him. _What would Claus do?_

He knew the answer to that question. Taking a deep breath, Lucas made up his mind. _I can't believe I'm going to do this... _Testing the tree trunk with his weight (it held firm), he carefully placed a foot on a ledge.

Adults easily described Lucas as "thoughtful" and "cautious." His careful personality contrasted heavily with Claus's reckless tendency to dive into everything head-first. Along with Ness's fiery passion for crazy plans and Ninten's random bouts of goofing off, it was rather fortunate that Lucas was the level-headed "Voice of Reason."

But to be honest, Lucas felt neither "thoughtful" nor "cautious" as he dangled dangerously off the side of the cliff. His hands tightly gripped the groaning branch of the apple tree in dear life, and he fervently hoped that the branch would hold steady under his weight. Several times, his ankle throbbed and seared painfully, forcing him to pause for an agonizing amount of time.

Lucas gulped at the empty air underneath him, and closed his eyes. Gripping onto the branch in dear life as the tree swayed in nauseating circles, Lucas let out a shaky breath. Several thoughts raced in his mind.

_Just don't look down...Don't look down, and you won't fall into that awfully deep, dark chasm..._

_Probably._

_Claus would murder me if I died here like an idiot. _

Lucas suddenly wondered how Claus would react if he saw him now.

_Lucas, what the fuck are you doing? _Claus would say._ Stop monkeying around and get the hell off the tree._

Clapping a hand over his mouth to stifle his hysterical giggles, Lucas groaned, resisting the urge to throw up. Instilled with renewed courage, he took another deep breath, then crawled forward ever-so-slightly. The bough of the tree shook dangerously under his shifting weight. He desperately reached out a hand for the creature, slowly inching his fingers closer and closer…

The branch underneath him let out an ominous crack. The creature nervously swung back and forth helplessly.

**"Not good."**

Lucas frantically swiped his fingers forward, but a breeze swung the creature just out of reach. The branch cracked deeper, and Lucas knew it couldn't support his weight any longer. Gritting his teeth in frustration, Lucas lunged forward and seized the creature in his arms just as the branch broke free.

Yanking himself out of the scratchy brambles in time, both Lucas and the creature watched in fascinated horror as several thick limbs groaned and tumbled off the cliff. Within seconds, the deep abyss had swallowed up the bark in eternal darkness.

_Lucas: 1, Death: 0._

The creature wiggled out of his arms, and looked at him in gratitude. "**Blondboy saved me. Many thanks. BOING!**"

Lucas stuffed his hands into his pockets, feeling a warm flush prickle his cheeks. "It's nothing," he said modestly.

The creature glanced at him curiously. "**Name Mr. Saturn. Name Blondboy?**"

He felt a shy smile grow on his face. "I'm Lucas."

"**Come Come, Lucas. Meet my friends.**" Balancing a stray apple on its head, the Mr. Saturn cheerfully nudged at the flustered blond.

"W-W-Wait! Not now," Lucas stammered, and the Mr. Saturn stopped pushing him up the slope. The Mr. Saturn's words had jolted him back into reality, and Lucas was alarmed at how far up the sun was in the sky. "My friends might be in trouble. I have to catch up to them."

Somehow, the Mr. Saturn seemed to understand. Hopping up, it patted something small and silver into his hands. "**Shiny. Come if Change mind. Zoom!**"

Lucas flipped the item over in his palm. He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion before realization hit him. "A whistle," Lucas voiced in wonder, staring at the intricate, bow-shaped marking etched into the delicate metal. "...Thanks."

"**Skydiving****.** **BOING!**" Then the Mr. Saturn – to Lucas's incredulous shock – bounced gleefully off the cliff without a single care in the world.

"Wait!" Lucas yelled, trying to save it from a potentially disastrous death. But it was too late; when he reached the edge of the cliff and peered down, the Mr. Saturn was long gone.

* * *

><p>When Lucas had finally made his way back to the forked path, he felt his anxiety multiply. There was still no sign of his friends, and Lucas worried that one of them had been gravely injured by the mecha-lion.<p>

He didn't have to worry though. Almost at once, the blond was bombarded by a frantic telepathic voice. _Lucas? Is that you?_

_Ness?_

A capped head popped up from behind a shrub, and Ness's shoulders sagged in relief. "Oh geez, we thought that mecha-lion ate you!" he clamored worriedly, cutting through the underbrush. "It must've devoured a bird or something before we caught up to it, because its fur was matted with blood. Everyone was freaking out, man!"

"Sorry. I accidently slipped down the wrong path and got lost." Sheepishly, Lucas shifted his foot, and winced involuntarily as pain seared his ankle. With everything that had happened, he had completely forgotten about his injured ankle.

But Ness caught the wince and frowned. "Are you hurt?"

Lucas hesitated. "I tripped and sprained my ankle from a crevice," he admitted, face glowing red in embarrassment. "It's nothing to worry about."

But to his surprise, Ness leaned over and placed a gentle hand on his sore ankle. "Here?"

"Y-Yeah..."

"PK Healing," Ness murmured softly, and the stabbing ache vanished. Lucas blinked, testing out his now-healed ankle. Oddly, that healing sensation had felt strangely familiar, but this had been the first time Lucas was sure someone had healed him. How curious.

"Thanks." Lucas threw Ness a look of gratitude, which the Onett teen returned with a smile. Lucas hesitated. "I hate to sound ungrateful, but wouldn't using PSI attract Starmen?"

Ness shrugged. "Desperate times call for desperate measures. We can't have you stumbling around like that." Ness threw him a vampirish grin that didn't quite meet his violet eyes. "At least you missed how Claus went crazy on that mecha-lion though. He just blasted that thing flat-out with PK Thunder."

Lucas shuddered. "That's pretty reckless."

"Hey, we thought it had eaten you, and we didn't want it to hurt anyone else," Ness pointed out, frowning. "It's still alive if you're interested, but it's not going to bother anyone for a _long_ time."

Suddenly, Ninten's muffled yell cut through the clearing. "Ness, did you find him?"

"Yeah, I found the dolt!" Ness shouted back, throwing the sheepish blond a mock-glare. "We're over by the forked pathway."

Immediately afterwards, Ninten stumbled in, Claus right at his heels. Aside from their sweaty, flushed expressions, both of them seemed unhurt, much to Lucas's relief.

"Holy crap, Lucas!" a worried Ninten exclaimed, scanning him for any visible injuries. "Are you hurt? Did the mecha-lion attack you?" He looked positively terrified. "Did _Giygas_ attack you?"

Lucas stifled a laugh. "I'm completely fine, Ninten. You don't have to over-react."

Claus grumpily pushed Ness aside. "See, I told you he was going to be okay," the ginger grumbled in an annoyed, airy tone. But Lucas picked up on the faint hint of concern, and Claus hesitated, meeting his eyes. _Are you sure that you're okay?_

_Yeah, I'm positive. _Lucas flushed a deeper crimson in utter mortification. His friends had bravely fended off the monstrous mecha-lion, and here he was, accidentally tripping over _grass_ and spraining his ankle like some three-year-old. How embarrassing.

Ness deflated, shouldering his bag. "I was an idiot," he mumbled, fingering the bill of his hat. "My dad bought this bag for me, and when the mecha-lion snatched it away, getting it back was the only thing I had in my mind. I shouldn't have left you guys behind."

"It's okay, Ness," Lucas tried. "I shouldn't have been a clutz-"

"No, Lucas," Ness rebutted softly. "Anything can happen out here. We're really lucky that you and Ninten didn't bump into some serious trouble." Ness drew himself up with a determined smile. "From now on, we're in this together."

"No child left behind!" Ninten added gleefully, and Claus smacked him in the arm. "Owww," Ninten whined, rubbing his sore shoulder. "Stop abusing me, Claus!"

"At least nobody was wounded," Lucas sighed in relief.

"Yeah," Ness grinned, flashing him a teasing smile. "Except you."

Claus perked up immediately. "Wait, what?"

Lucas hastily swiped a finger across his neck, and Ness's eyes widened. "Just kidding!" Ness blurted out hastily.

Claus's eyes blazed with fire. "Lucas," he enunciated. "Is there something you're hiding from me?"

Lucas wanted to keel over and die of embarrassment. It was already bad enough that Ness knew; Claus would completely flip out if Lucas got so much a paper cut. It was much too late to make up something on the spot, and Lucas hated to lie. _I guess I shouldn't tell him about my death-defying stunt yet_.

Instead, Lucas laughed nervously. "No?"

"No, huh?" Claus's eyes glinted evilly. "C'mere!"

The ginger lunged forward, trying to trap him in a headlock. Lucas yelped, trying to side-step him, but Claus tackled him onto the ground. The twins playfully scuffled about in the dirt, each trying to achieve dominance over the other. But there could only be one winner, and Lucas barely managed to pin Claus down with his elbows.

"I win!" Lucas chirped gleefully, still sitting on Claus's stomach.

Claus grunted, squirming and shifting under Lucas's weight. "Get off, you fatty. I can't breathe."

Lucas laughed before scrambling up. "Maybe your old age is finally catching up to you," he teased.

Suddenly Claus snatched at Lucas's ankles, and the blond gave an undignified yelp as he toppled face-first into the dirt for the third time that day. Before he could react though, Claus had turned the tables on him, straddling his knees on either side of his struggling body. The ginger leaned over with a smirk. "I know you're hiding something, Lucas. You'd better tell me, because I'm not budging until you do."

"No!"

"Tell me!"

"Never!"

Claus grinned mischievously, wiggling his fingers. "Well, if you insist, I know just the thing to change your mind-"

"AHH! No! Don't you dare, Claus!" Lucas squeaked, frantically trying to wriggle out of his grasp. "Guys!" he desperately pleaded to Ness and Ninten, both of whom were watching the twins in amusement. "Don't just stand there! Do something! Help!"

Immediately, as soon as Claus tickled him, Lucas helplessly burst out into laughter. "S-S-Stop, Claus! I'm sorry! I-Hahaha! Okay, stop, stop it please, I give up, just-HAHAHAHAAAAA!"

"Yes?" Claus smirked, cupping a free hand to his ear. "I'm sorry, I didn't hear what you said. You might want to speak louder."

"Okay, I give up," Lucas gasped. "I twisted my ankle, and Ness healed me. Please get off! You're heavy!"

Claus smirked. "That's more like it." He rose, patting the dirt from his mussed-up clothes. Suddenly, he felt two pairs of eyes on him, and immediately realized that both Ninten and Ness were still watching him with big, fat grins on their faces.

Claus scowled. "What are you two looking at?"

"No way," Ninten gasped dramatically. "Claus is actually being a sarcastic jerk again!"

"Shut up, Ninten."

"He's completely reverted back to his natural state," Ness deadpanned. "It's unbelievable."

"Ah, even the strangest of phenomena have no logical explanation," Ninten said wisely.

"Everything has a logical explanation," Claus countered, narrowing his eyes. This was beginning to sound like one of their little quarrels at school, and both Lucas and Ness shared an amused look.

"OBJECTION!" Ninten declared, crossing his arms smugly. "Anything is possible, if you _believe_-"

"Stop, just stop, Ninten." Claus face-palmed. "Ugh, just listen to yourself. Not everything is possible through sheer belief!"

"I believe in make-believe," Ninten sniffed.

"Well then, you're _wrong. _Everything follows the laws of physics, so things can't just magically _appear_."

"Well, PSI doesn't follow all the rules of physics," Ninten countered. "Besides, what if something did randomly appear right now? How would you justify that? Huh, Claus?"

"Humor me," Claus said in a bored voice.

Ninten fidgeted, trying to create a good example. "W-What if, um...What if a random pedophile magically materialized out of thin air?" he suggested lamely.

"Okay, what the heck?" Claus said flatly, cocking an eyebrow. "First off, we're smack dab in the middle of the _wilderness_, Ninten. There's literally nobody here - except maybe us four and Giygas."

"Exactly!" Ninten exclaimed, jabbing his finger into the air. "_It makes no sense!_ Not everything has to have a logical explanation, Claus!"

"Right," Claus drawled skeptically, rolling his eyes. "So _obviously_ some random pedo is going to materialize here dressed in a business suit and snap photos of us in rapid succession-"

As if on cue, a dark figure hurtled out of the air at an alarming speed. Before anyone could react, the entire party was immediately bombarded with a barrage of PK flashes. Collective cries of pain, bewilderment, and shock emanated from their lips.

Blinking furiously, Claus raised an arm to cover his watering eyes. "The hell?"

"Photos taken instantaneously!" Came the loud, gleeful exclamation.

_Snap! Snap! Snap!_

"I'm a photographic genius, if I do say so myself!" Squinting their eyes, they were able to make out the curious figure of a bearded man dressed in a professional tux. He raised his camera again. "Say fuzzy pickles!"

"FUZZY PICKLES!" Ness yelled gleefully, suddenly wrapping his arms tightly around his bewildered friends.

"Ness, what-"

_Snap._

"Oh my, this one's a keeper!" The man stuffed the picture into his waistcoat, then bowed low at the waist. "Until next time, folks!" Then the camera man spiraled up into the air (Claus swore that his eyes were playing tricks on him), and disappeared out of sight.

"H-He just...But h-how?" Claus managed to sputter out, staring at the spot in utter befuddlement. He looked uncharacteristically flustered, and his face burned a bright red like the rest of his flaming hair. "_How_?!"

Suddenly, Ninten burst out laughing. "Oh gods, Claus, you just got _owne-_"

"This doesn't prove anything!" Claus snapped, still flushing a dark crimson.

Lucas frowned, preoccupied by a more disturbing thought. "Ness, did you know that man?"

"Oh, him?" Ness shrugged cheerfully. "Nope."

"What?!" Claus whirled around aghast. "Did your parents ever teach you not to talk to strangers?"

Ness grinned confidently. "I checked his mind with telepathy. He genuinely seemed like someone who just wanted to take photos, and he had no interest in killing us. Ergo, he's completely harmless."

"But how do we know that he's not a pedo?" Lucas asked weakly.

They all froze wide-eyed as the implications of his words sank in.

_Oh_.

…

_..._

"Claus! You jinxed it!" Ninten wailed. He dramatically fell to his knees. "YOU'VE DOOMED US ALL!"

"_I_ jinxed it?" the ginger sputtered frantically. "YOU brought it up first!"

"Guys, we might just be over-reacting," Lucas anxiously tried to reassure them. "That camera man might not be a pedo."

"But there's still a 50% chance that he might be! Those aren't good odds, Lucas!" Claus snapped. The ginger turned around accusingly. "This is all your fault, Ness!"

"How is it _my_ fault?" Ness said offended. He threw up his hands in exasperation. "Claus, he's just some weird, old man. I'm pretty sure that he's NOT a pedo."

"But you don't know _for certain_, do you?"

Suddenly, Ninten looked uncharacteristically serious. "Shut up, guys."

"Ninten, are you telling me to _shut up?_" Claus asked incredulously. "If you haven't noticed, some random pedo just materialized out of nowhere and _invaded our privacy_!"

"He's not some random pedo, dammit! And even if he was, he's completely harmless!" Ness blurted out, balling his fists. "He's the same guy who takes our yearbook pictures every year!"

"More proof that he's a pedo!"

"Guys, an organic lifeform is flying overhead." Ninten interrupted. He scrunched his eyes in concentration, then blanched. "Whatever it is, it's coming closer!"

Ness cursed. "Hide!" he hissed, dragging them behind some sizeable rocks. Straining their senses, they crouched uncomfortably in growing apprehension. Their hearing seemed to multiply twofold from fear, and even their low breathing sounded loud in their ears.

They didn't have to wait long for their unwelcome guest to appear. With low _vrooooooooooooosh, _a metallic robot gradually lowered itself onto the ground.

"Small energy output detected," the unwelcome guest droned, red eyes studying its surroundings. "Scan environment?"

_A Starman,_ Ninten whispered. He felt everyone's silent assent.

_It must have sensed my healing from earlier, _Ness muttered as they froze in place, warily watching its every move.

Claus furrowed his eyebrows. _You said that you sense something organic. That thing is definitely artificial, Ninten._

Ninten hesitated. _I don't understand...only living things can generate PSI._

"Energy output negligible. Scanning declined," it chimed. The Starman hovered back into the air, and sped off.

"It's heading back to the research facility." Ness grimly adjusted his bag. Mentally checking that nobody was left behind, he leaped forward in hot pursuit. "C'mon!"

* * *

><p>They were right to keep on moving. Even from this distance, they spotted a noticeable cluster of silver on the mountainside where Claus had supposedly taken down the mecha-lion.<p>

Just beyond the horizon, the Starman paused above a sparse clearing. Catching his breath, Claus narrowed his eyes. "What's it doing?"

There was a smooth whirr, and a hidden entrance spiraled open in front of their incredulous eyes. The Starman plunged out of sight, disappearing down the secret entrance. Another soft whirr, and the hole closed up, leaving no sign that the wilderness had been disturbed in the first place.

"This is it," Ninten breathed. His skin tingled in apprehension, and he shuddered, rubbing his goosebumps absentmindedly. He could almost _see_ Giygas lurking down there, waiting to act on any sign of their reappearance.

Ness steadied his baseball bat, ready clobber anything in their path. "Okay, keep your guard up. Anything you see, hear, or even breathe might kill us."

"Overkill much?" Claus drawled, quirking an eyebrow.

"Hey, we're in enemy territory," Ness hissed. A flock of curious pigeons alighted on a nearby branch, and Ness glared back suspiciously. "_Those _are _enemy birds_."

Suddenly an ear-wrenching rumble rattled their ears, and an embarrassed-looking Ninten caught their looks.

"I'm hungry," Ninten whined. When all of them cracked up laughing at his pitiful expression, the Podunk teen flopped his arms pathetically at his sides. "Seriously though, I'm as famished as _Hell_. Can we eat something now, Ness?" he pleaded piteously.

"Ninten," Ness gestured at the valley. "We're literally here."

"But none of us got the chance to eat today because of that stupid mecha-lion," Ninten moaned. He dramatically collapsed onto the ground, and his muffled voice escaped from the dirt. "Forget Giygas - We're all gonna to starve to death."

"Not to mention that we're completely exhausted," Claus added bluntly. "Look, Ness, the research facility can wait until tomorrow morning. We need to rest. Honestly, you look like a dump."

"Come on, Claus," Ness pleaded desperately. Despite that sinking sensation in his stomach, he managed to plow through. "The entrance is _right there_! If we act quickly, we can-"

"-get kidnapped by Giygas?" Claus finished flatly. "Face it, Ness; none of us are in any condition to fight today."

Ness clenched his hands in frustration. "But Paula, Poo, and Ana might be in there! Who knows what condition they're in? What if they need our help? What if they're in danger right now?! I don't want to fail them a second time," Ness said quietly. Desperate, aching frustration danced in his tortured eyes. "...We're so close-"

"Ness, we're not giving up," Lucas broke in gently. "But Claus is right. Diving into Giygas's laboratory now is a bad idea. If Poo, Ana, and Paula are really in there, we need to be alert and ready, not half-dead and sleep-deprived."

When Ness didn't respond, Lucas softened. "We're here with you all the way," the blond said quietly, firmly setting a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

Jerking his head up, Ness stared at his exhausted friends in sheer astonishment. He was taken aback when they mirrored his gaze with unfaltering, firm trust because, _h__eck, _Ness himself had no idea what he was doing. He was just improvising shitty plans and crossing his fingers, hoping that none of them got killed by the end of the day.

All of his friends looked worse for wear. They were caked in dry mud and sweat. Their limbs trembled violently from crushing weariness, and knees threatened to buckle. It was only a matter of time before someone was going to protest, and Ness didn't blame them.

But nobody had.

**_We're here with you all the way._**

Ness felt a lump grow in his throat, and resisted the urge to choke, or worse, cry. He managed to force down the lump, and swallowed hard.

"Thanks," he said quietly. Once again, determination sparked his hallowed, haunted eyes, and the faces of his missing friends popped into his mind. _We're coming._ _Just hold on a little longer..._

* * *

><p>Ana awoke with a rather nasty headache. Strange sounds and colors bombarded her vision, and she was immediately struck bewildered by her surroundings.<p>

_Am I in a tropical rainforest? _

Lush, green leaves hung from tall, scratchy bark, and a clear springs of water happily gurgled nearby. Luscious, sweet-smelling red-orange fruit hung from branches, and the cawing of exotic birds filled her senses along with the flashing of multicolored feathers.

Comprehension finally flooded her senses, and she grimaced, finally recalling what had happened. _How could I have gotten myself captured so easily?_

Ever since Paula's strange absence, she and Poo had teamed up at school to investigate her disappearance. As PSI users, Poo had advised that they stick together, but during the thrill of the Halloween Dance, Ana had accidentally been separated from him by the enormous crowd of people. Panicking, she had tried reaching out with her telepathy in vain, but quickly realized that the party was too loud for any sort of mental maneuvering. As she shouted and called out Poo's name, Pokey had spotted her, and he had offered to show her where Poo was.

In hindsight, it did seem like a stupid thing to fall for, but Ana had panicked, and her judgement had been clouded by her deafening worry for Poo's safety. But when she had been led outside into the basketball court, Pokey had disappeared. Too late, Ana realized her mistake, but before she could escape, a group of strange, metallic hominoid figures had knocked her unconscious with a PK Beam to the head.

_Ah. That explained the headache._

"Ana?"

The blonde froze. "Paula!" she exclaimed, sitting upright so quickly that her head spun nauseatingly. True to her word, an anxious Paula materialized into view, and Ana hugged her missing friend joyfully with as much force as she could muster. "You're okay!"

Paula pushed her back down. "You shouldn't strain yourself," she said worriedly. "Those Starmen did quite a number on you, and I tried to heal you the best I could. But my PSI was completely spent, and you were unconscious, so I hope you don't mind that I used telepathy to tap into your PSI core."

"How long was I out for?"

Paula hesitated. "I don't know," she admitted, lowering her arms. "Maybe a few days? You and Poo were floating in the spring." She pointed towards the center of the lush jungle, and Ana caught the distant sparkle of tell-tale water.

"Oh! Where's Poo? Is he hurt?" Ana asked alarmed, trying to rise.

"He's fine!" Paula said hastily. "He's scouting the spring with Kuma. The only exit we've seen is camouflaged, and it's located high above the spring." Paula frowned. "It's hard to tell, because this entire place is surrounded by some glass-covered force-field, and it sucks because it absorbs PSI." To prove her point, Paula knocked on an invisible wall next to her, and it let out a thick _clunk_.

"We can't see through the glass, but maybe someone else could see us through the other side." Ana stared at their surroundings blankly. "So what's on the other side?"

"I have no idea. After I was kidnapped, I woke up in here like you."

"This is insane." Ana's breath hitched in her throat. "We're gonna run out of oxygen or starve to death first at this rate!"

Paula laughed loudly, lightening up for the first time Ana had seen her here. "The fruit's edible and the air's clean, so you don't have to worry about that." Her face darkened. "Our real problem is the Starmen."

"Starmen?" Ana echoed plaintively. She winced as her head protested and gave another jolt of pain. Out of available PSI, Ana sighed, then nursed her still-ringing head. Hopefully, the headache would die down soon.

"I'm talking about those metal robots that probably kidnapped you too," Paula said bitterly.

Ana registered her distress. Paula was such a wild spirit; she hated claustrophobic spaces. "Have you tried blasting your way out?" Ana asked in a hushed voice.

Paula clenched her fists. "I don't have enough PSI."

"Doesn't PSI recharge?"

"That's when the Starmen come in." Paula's features darkened considerably, drawing slanted shadows across her harried face. "Whoever's controlling the Starmen is incredibly smart. If they wanted us dead, we'd already be dead."

"What do you mean?" Ana whispered in trepidation.

Paula shook her head firmly.

"We're completely under their mercy. The Starmen emerge from the exit above the spring, then force us to spend every drop of PSI. You can kill them off, but they'll just keep coming until you give in and feed the force-field with all your PSI."

"Where does all the energy go?" Ana wondered.

"No idea. Nowhere good, I bet," Paula said grimly.

"Well...You could hide until you replenish your PSI, then try to escape," Ana suggested weakly.

"You can't hide. You can't run. They know everything: where you are, how much PSI you have, your heart rate...everything," Paula answered flatly, yanking up her sleeve. Cuffed to her wrist was a glassy, metallic tracker, and Ana realized that there was also a similar-looking device attached to her own arm.

"Don't bother. I tried," Paula added when Ana tried to tug it off in vain.

Ana felt despair sink in, and closed her mouth. After all, what _could_ she say?

Paula slumped against a tree. All her former confidence seemed to drain out of her. "I've been here for about a month," she said quietly. "My mom's probably getting really worried..."

Ana hesitated, before shyly patting her back. "We'll find a way out, Paula," she whispered. Paula hummed in response, accepting her comfort.

"I had a dream two weeks ago," Paula suddenly broke out, staring absentmindedly into the distance. "I saw Ness and three other figures with him. I couldn't tell who they were, but I'm positive it was Ninten and the twins."

"Ninten?" Ana said in disbelief. As much as she wanted to believe it, it sounded too good to be true. "No way."

"Yes way," Paula said boldly, placing her hands on her hips. "Ness knows PSI, so maybe the rest of them do too."

Ana's spirits rose. "If they really come, we might have a fighting chance."

"Of course! Kuma's been here longest, and she's getting impatient. We're just waiting for the right moment." Paula clenched her fists confidently. "Look, Ana, I don't know how, and I don't know when, but help is on the way."

Ana hesitated. "I just hope the boys know what they're getting themselves into," she said quietly.

Paula closed her eyes with a small smile. "I believe in Ness." Her blue eyes flickered and shone with utmost confidence. "If there's one person I can trust, it's definitely him."


	15. Chapter 15

**Author's Note****: Hey guys!**

**...Nothing much to say this time. :) Got this chapter earlier in than I thought. This chapter was a nice break from the heavy, contemplative chapter 14. Sorry; that thing was _long_, but necessary.**

**A lot of my friends like pop, and here I am, listening to opera and classical music. ;_; Don't get me wrong; I admire all genres of music. It's like speaking and listening to different languages. I just feel old when most instrumental/opera lovers are like in their forties. DX Right now, I'm riding the nostalgia train on Disney/Pixar music (courtesy of Youtube). Seriously, those villains sing some wicked music. That should be everyone's goal in life: to have a theme song. Just imagine all those dramatic entrances as people arrive to class. It'll be like one, giant, weird musical.**

**Answering Reviews Time! (aka A.R.T.)**

**ConnortheSpelingPro: Thank you! And definitely, if you're busy, I totally understand. :) Even if you can't find time to review, I respect your time. :) On the other hand...There so many characters. DX Hopefully they can stand out...sort of. On another note, we'll be getting plenty of flashback to better understand the main characters.**

**KaguTheGreat: YAS! XD Mr. Saturns are so interesting; I read their entire dialogue on the Mother 3 Walkthrough. On the other hand, I wanted to put the Photo Guy into the story for comic relief...but he's such a weirdo xD**

**Angel-Woof: Ahhh thank you. :) Your support is appreciated. And yes, perhaps the Mr. Saturns may be important later...Who knows? I'm glad that you liked that chapter. xD It wasn't the best in terms of flow, but it tied in everything I needed. Hopefully the future updates won't disappoint. :)**

**CrankySky: Yeah. xD Everyone else was like "huh, random pedo photoman" and Claus was like "Nooo!" DX That Photo man is really weird though haha xD And yes, Kumatora makes her entrance in this chapter. :'D I totes agree with you; she's one badass girl.**

**PizzaPower: Oh, that's easy to answer! The choir teacher was...She was...**

**... **

**...Oh no. Beware the PEDOS! O_O **

**In all seriousness, I was more or less thinking that Lucas was washing his hands or something, and the choir teacher was just passing by. xD But you're right, I could've worded it better haha**

**DarkFoxKit: Yeah, I thought Lucas needed some POV time. xD Poor boy needs more attention. And yeah...he's either going to have to get over his stage fright somehow, or refuse the offer. What a Tuff Choice. D: And thanks for the compliment. :) I love writing sibling-sibling fluff too much for my own good...Oh no, what have I done?**

**Readergirl27: I'm glad you enjoyed the humor. :) Humor is so hard to write. D: I wish it came naturally to me - it'd make this story a lot easier to write. xD The duet between Ninten and Lucas was based on my own passion for music, and I can play three different instruments. xD But I can't sing for my life. ;_; The weather is already slightly chilly, but yes, it will get colder later (Hooray for snow!) :D**

**PKLoveGamma: Thank you. :) As for what purpose the whistle provides...we'll find out at some point. ;)**

**[Insert Appropriate Disclaimer Here]**

* * *

><p><strong><span>Setting<span>: Future.**

Claus couldn't keep it up much longer.

He sprinted for dear life, panting and wheezing violently like a run-down car as he barreled through the forested scenery with fierce abandon. Branches scratched at his arms and face, slicing small cuts into delicate skin. Lucas's head lolled pathetically on his shoulder, and the ginger shifted his grip to keep his brother's limp body on his back.

"This way!" Came Ness's muffled yell, and a frowning Claus followed the other teen into the foliage without second thought.

Ahead of him, Ness didn't seem to be faring any better. Lugging an unconscious Ninten over his shoulder, the Onett teen was frantically running this way and that like a headless chicken. But with the thick leaves in his way, Claus could barely squint out Ness's outline darting between the trees.

It was lucky that Ness had shouted out in alarm, or else Claus would've accidentally slipped off the steep mountain top.

"CLIFF!"

Immediately, Claus skidded to a halt, digging in his heels into the rocky ground. The two boys glanced despairingly at the lush, deep gorge beneath their feet. Falling here was certainly fatal, and running would be an impossible feat. They couldn't possibly outrun their pursuers in this terrain.

Then Lucas chose that opportune time to stir groggily. Claus felt a slight sliver of faith. "Lucas, we could really use your help right now," the ginger started gratefully. "Listen, can you-"

"Claus," the blond giggled dreamily, brutally crushing all of the ginger's hopes. "...Your hair smells soft...like a baby chick."

_Nevermind_.

For all Claus knew, his brother was hopelessly high, Ninten was clocked out like a sleeping babe, and now, he and Ness either faced possible capture or risked death by ker-splatting against the ground. Lovely.

Claus felt that sinking sensation grow in the pit of his stomach. The plan had gone horribly, _horribly_ wrong.

_I shouldn't have let them go in the first place._

* * *

><p><strong><span>Setting<span>: Present Day.**

"Ninten." Claus scowled at the darkened figure in front of him. "Can you please move your smelly feet out of my face?"

"Oh, don't mind me!" Ninten's mocking politeness immediately followed. "I'm just busy making sure nothing's on the other side of this air vent waiting to _kill_ us!"

"I thought you were already done using telepathy! You just said that the coast was clear," Claus snapped. He could feel his numb legs cramping up in pins and needles from kneeling low on all fours, and his aching neck was starting to get painfully sore. "What the heck's taking you so long? We've literally been stuck down here for at least fifteen minutes!"

"I'm trying to unscrew the damn iron grate," Ninten grunted irritably. "It's harder than it looks."

Claus gritted his teeth in frustration. "Align, Untwist, Pull! How much harder can it get?!"

"Easy for you to say, dumbass!" Ninten snapped, finally managing to unscrew one nail. "I've never touched a toolbox in my life and you probably did, like, at least a thousand times! Now if you'd shut up, I'd make some pretty good progress!"

They had briefly scouted the area first thing in the morning. Accessing the hidden entrance was almost impossible; Giygas undoubtedly had security cameras all over the place, and the doors closed too quickly for any of them to follow a Starman in. A distraction using PSI to lure out the Starmen had then suggested by Lucas, but it was immediately shot down by Ness.

_"That's a good idea, but it's not going to work," Ness pointed out. "There's no way any of us can lure the Starmen away and return in time without PK Teleport. PK Teleport still uses PSI, so I'd only be luring the Starmen back. And what would we do if we can't open the sealed entrance?"_

_"Hold on," Claus interrupted, rubbing his temples. "What if the answer isn't through the secret entrance?"_

_"What do you mean, Claus?"_

_Claus dropped to all fours, brushing around twigs and spare leaves. "There was another opening we could exploit. It was on the blueprint…" Another rustle of dried leaves. "…It should be around here somewhere..."_

_"I'm still in the dark here, Claus." Ninten said, frowning at the opened blueprint. "That Starmen entrance is literally the only exit in and out of the facility. There's no other way into the facility. Well, except for the…" Ninten trailed off, and his eyes widened. "You're joking."_

_Claus smirked, pointing at something embedded into the dirt. It gleamed amidst the dried, red-orange leaves. "The air vent."_

_"No way," Ninten said weakly. _

_Ness stared at the air vent, then slowly grinned. "You know, this__ might just work."_

_Lucas experimentally pulled at the iron grate. "But there's no way we can flip open this thing without PSI." Lucas threw Claus an amused look. "But...you didn't!"_

_"Yeah, I did," Claus smirked, flipping out a tiny screwdriver from his pocket. Ness and Ninten stared at him in amazement._

_"Where did you get that?" Ninten blurted out, and Claus fished out a mini toolkit from his pocket. It looked awfully familiar…_

_Claus shrugged, bending over to unscrew the iron grate. "This is Lloyd's. I was supposed to return it when we were going to work on our Solar Car after my detention...But we're in a life and death situation. I'm sure he'll understand."_

Ness sighed, then shifted his limbs into a more comfortable position (or as least uncomfortable as he could). Sensing his stare, Lucas turned his head around with difficulty in the cramped space, then flashed him a pitiful excuse for a smile.

It was bad enough that they were unceremoniously crammed in a small-ass air vent underground, but Ness was starting to get a headache from Claus and Ninten's quarreling. Even though Ninten could be silly, he easily knew when to be serious, and Claus was already a practical person to begin with. But stuff them together in an air vent, and you had an instantaneous squabbling match that defied both logic and sanity.

_Lucas,_ Ness pleaded._ Can't you do anything to reason with Claus?_

Lucas grimaced. _I tried, but he keeps rising to the bait whenever Ninten says something._

"Stop pushing your shoes into my face, you fatso!" Claus snapped childishly. "Now you're doing it on purpose!"

"Oops, I'm sorry. I think I'm too _fat_ to move out of the way," Ninten said sarcastically.

"That's enough," Ness interrupted before Claus could retort. Both boys jolted in surprise at the new voice, nearly banging their heads onto the low ceiling. The baseball captain looked unamused, and his violet eyes blazed alertly. "Ninten, just let it go and focus. Claus, shut up and leave him alone."

It was remarkable how quickly his orders were carried out.

"Sorry," Ninten muttered, and Claus immediately fell silent with a sullen look.

But Ness didn't need telepathy to know that they were both nervous. Neither of them were genuinely angry; their squabbling only seemed to be a way to deal with their rising anxiety.

_Ness, are you sure we took the correct path to the control room?_ Lucas whispered, broadcasting his thoughts to all of them.

Ness gave a mental nod. _Positive. That's what the blueprint said. _He let a slight sliver of doubt seep into his mind. _Claus, this all depends on you. Are you sure…?_

_I know my skills, _Claus's curt response came. _I can do it._

A final clatter as Ninten unscrewed the last bolt, and halted, placing his hands on the iron grate. For a few nerve-wracking seconds, he pressed his ear against the grail, and they all held their breaths. The only noises they heard, however, were the rhythmic computerized beeps and humming of machinery.

Then Ninten gripped the bars of the open grate with steady hands. _All clear. You guys ready?_

_Ready as we can ever be, _Ness said grimly.

_Here goes nothing._

Ninten immediately pushed the iron grate open, and all of them rapidly pulled themselves into the darkened room like an expertly-rehearsed SWAT team. Blue, flickering screens immediately caught their eyes, and Ninten emitted a low whistle.

"Holy crap, there's got to at least a hundred security cameras in this facility!" he breathed, transfixed by the rows of live video feed. His brown eyes flickered around. "Giygas isn't in any of these screens. He must be out somewhere…"

"I hope so," Lucas said, wary gaze never flitting away from the doorway.

But Claus had instantly darted over to the Motherboard. His fingers flew rapidly across the keyboards, and fluorescent green letters blinked up in the black screen. Several incomprehensible words popped up, then Claus flicked his wrist expertly.

The computer buzzed. **PASSWORD?**

But Claus wasn't deterred. Lloyd might be the best mechanic, and Jeff was literally their walking Science Dictionary, but Claus was no slacker in their Solar Car team. No doubt he liked robotics, but computer programming was Claus's specialty. This was _his_ domain.

He cracked his knuckles, narrowing his eyes at the screen before he got back down to business.

Several tense minutes passed.

_Giygas is clever_, Claus had to admit_._ There were some tricks in the coding that even he couldn't decipher or risk meddling with. But the ginger persistently plowed through; he could almost taste the sweet success in his mouth. Making one last omission in the sequence of letters, he finally tapped **ENTER**.

A cool, female voice smoothly erupted from the speakers.

**"Welcome, Giygas."**

"Hacked it," Claus smirked, carelessly stretching his legs. "Now we're in the system."

His friends' incredulous looks were totally worth the gruelling effort. Lucas laughed in relief, and Ninten pumped a fist into the air.

"Oh man! You rock, Claus!" Ninten cheered.

"And the Starmen?" Ness pressed.

"I can't deactivate the Starmen because Giygas must have wired that command somewhere else," Claus frowned. "But I managed to manipulate the coding so that all of them would recognize us as "friendly." Either way, we'll have to act quickly," Claus warned. "He's gonna find out that his computer's hacked at some point."

"Roger that," Ness said.

"Wait, is that Ana?!"

"What?" Ness whirled around in shock at Ninten's outburst. Ninten was staring at one of the security screens, and his face brightened in recognition.

"That is!" The Podunk teen exclaimed. "And I think Paula and Picky's right next to her too!"

Ness felt hope surge into his heart. He stole a brief glance at the ginger. "Claus, do you know any way we can communicate with them…?"

"On it."

* * *

><p>Picky sighed, then lowered the half-eaten mango to the ground. His appetite was gone, completely swallowed up in the mixture of roiling discomfort and lurking emotions.<p>

"You okay, Picky?"

Startled, he found Paula's kind blue eyes studying him curiously. At her question, all of the others had looked up to stare, and Picky felt his face flush. "I-I'm fine!" he squeaked.

"Are you sure nothing is ailing you?" Poo asked cautiously. He placed a hand on his forehead. "You do seem a little flushed."

Kumatora rolled her eyes and tore into another mango. "Hey kiddo, if you don't eat, you'll start feelin' worse. Trust me." Gulping down a mouthful of fruit, she wiped her mouth with her sleeve, much to Ana's revulsion. "Blech," Kumatora spat in disgust. "I absolutely _hate_ mangoes. They're too sickly sweet and soft."

Ana carefully patted dirt off from her dress. The poor blond was extremely germaphobic to begin with; this was probably her worst nightmare. She hugged her knees tighter to her body. "Paula, are you sure that Ness is coming?"

Paula's confident look didn't waver. "Definitely. I'm certain of it," she said firmly. She didn't look any better; her pink dress had faded into a dirty brown, and her hair was a wild crow's nest.

Kumatora snorted. "Well, excuse me, _princess_," she drawled. "But your man probably ain't coming."

Paula bristled. "I believe in Ness," she snapped. "He's one of my best friends!"

Poo threw Kumatora an equally scrutinizing glance. "Captain Ness is very resourceful," he said casually. "You should not underestimate his abilities of the "BS-ing"."

Kumatora sighed, shaking her head. "You guys are crazy. I've been here for two months, and so far, no help's ever arrived. Face it; no one's coming."

Picky lowered his head, wanting to do nothing more than to crawl to the spring and drown himself in guilt. His brother had betrayed his friends, and despite the fact that they were trying to be optimistic for his sake, their worry was starting to crumble through the cracks. He couldn't hold back his guilt any longer.

"I'm sorry," Picky blurted out. Filled with remorse, he couldn't bear to meet Paula's eyes. "It's my fault that all of you are stuck here," he whispered. "Pokey was working for Giygas just to keep me safe..."

There was a surprised silence. Poo looked uncomfortable, not knowing what to say to such a young, distressed child, and all of them exchanged troubled looks. But if Ness had been the older brother Picky had always wished for, then Paula was his surrogate sister.

"Picky, don't say that!" Paula whispered. She embraced him in her arms. "Pokey might have betrayed us, but it's not your fault. Don't blame yourself."

"Kiddo," Kumatora sighed, crossing her arms. "As much as I hate being stuck here, I have to agree with princess over here."

"Don't call me _princess_!" Paula flared up. Ana threw Poo an exasperated look.

Picky knew that it was childish, but he couldn't bottle up his helplessness any longer. Truth be told, he was terrified; he was miles away from home, stuck in an unknown place with unknown dangers, and plagued with the awful betrayal of his brother. This thought broke his limits, and instinctively, Picky acted like any other 10-year-old would. Presented with comfort, Picky buried himself in a surprised Paula's arms.

"But what if Kumatora's right, Paula?" Picky looked up in fear. "What if Ness isn't coming?"

"PSI users have dreams that can predict the future," Poo said brusquely, staring straight into his soul. "I, too, sense truth in Paula's prediction. Do not despair."

Kumatora rolled her eyes. "Well, I hope they come soon. I honestly don't think I can stand another day in here."

As if on cue, a giant voice crackled into existence.

**"Are you sure they can hear us?" **A voice anxiously filtered through the air.

**"Yeah. The audio should work," **Came a grumpy response. **"For the last time, Ness, I know what I'm doing."**

**"Then why aren't they saying anything?" **A similar-sounding voice wondered.

**"Because Claus is a grumpy dickface," **A fourth voice laughed. A loud smack, and then a yelp. **"Ow, OW! I was just kidding!"**

"Ness? Is that you?" Paula's eyes dawned in realization.

"Captain Ness!" Poo exclaimed, leaping to his feet.

**"Paula? Poo?" **Ness's voice excitedly rang into the air. **"Oh geez, are you guys really there?" **

Then a screen fizzled into the spherical glass, revealing four boys huddled in a darkened room glowing with machinery. Ness's face eagerly lit up.

**"Video cam activated," **Claus said absentmindedly, checking the console.

Ninten furiously waved an arm at them. **"Oh! Heya, Ana! We're here to rescue you!"**

"You're kidding me," Kumatora said flatly, staring up at the giant screen with skepticism. "So, Paula, this so-called "help" you've been talking about all this time had actually been four immature _freshmen_?" Kumatora groaned, dragging a palm down her face. "We are so screwed."

**"Says the person with bright pink hair," **Claus droned. He squinted down at her. **"I see Picky, Poo, Ana, Paula, and...Who the heck are you?"**

Kumatora fumed. "Why you little-"

His twin materialized at Claus's side. **"Wait, we've seen her at school before, Claus!" **Lucas recognized. He snapped his fingers. **"She's that junior in our Phys Ed class...The captain of the wrestling team." **

"Right, and you're that blond chick who's really good at singing," Kumatora smirked, feeling some sort of satisfaction when Lucas flushed a bright pink.

**"Don't call my brother a chick, woman!" **Claus snapped.

Ness cleared his throat. **"We don't have much time to waste. Where are you guys in the research facility?"**

"Research facility?" Paula asked, bewildered. "We're in a research facility?"

"…That's quite a problem," Poo said with a frown. "None of us were awake when the enemy ambushed us."

"Actually…" Picky trailed off, and all eyes flew to him. "I regained consciousness as the Starmen were carrying me here. I don't remember much…but as soon as I caught a glimpse of a hallway, the Starmen took me further underground."

The four boys exchanged a glance. **"The basement," **they said in unison.

Sounds of fingers clicking on the touchpad erupted from the speakers, and the entrance above the glass dome slid open.

**"The exit should be open," **Claus announced. **"You're free."**

The trapped teens hesitated, eyeing the hole with skepticism.

"Great job, ginger," Kumatora said sarcastically. "Look, the entrance is several feet above a rather deep spring. We can't get out unless someone actually comes here and pulls us out with rope or something."

"We're also out of PSI," Ana reluctantly spoke up. "And the glass dome absorbs PSI."

Ness shared a troubled expression with his friends, but when he finally looked back at the screen, he was smiling confidently again. **"No sweat! We're heading over there right now. I can get you guys out with PK teleport."**

"Why can't you use PK Teleport now and save us the time?" Kumatora grumbled.

**"I want to save my energy by conserving distance." **

"Please be careful," Ana said worriedly.

**"We will!" **Ninten grinned, throwing them a quick salute; then the screen fizzled blank.

* * *

><p>"…The blueprint says that the 1st floor is responsible for the manufacture of Starmen," Ness muttered, stopping in the middle of the aisle to study the map. "The Starmen are then transported to the basement."<p>

Countless rooms they passed. Within each lay a strange concoction of machinery and Starmen parts. A Starmen passed by, and they instinctively tensed up; but Claus had done his work well. It paid them no attention and continued strolling along its path. They breathed easily again.

For some reason, the sterile, blinding white-washed walls gave Claus an uncomfortable feeling. It reminded him of a hospital, and he shuddered. _I hate staying down here longer than we should._

"The elevator's around the corner," Ness declared, tracing a finger down the blueprint.

"Finally!" Claus snapped impatiently. "Now can we get going?"

"I'm staying on this floor," Ninten's voice suddenly broke out.

They all froze.

"What are you talking about, Ninten?" Ness demanded.

Ninten's brown eyes shined with a strange emotion. "I want to check out Giygas's study," he declared quietly.

"We don't have time," Ness pressed frantically. "The system's not going to stay hacked for long. We need to bust everyone out safely before Giygas regains control of the-"

"I know. I want you guys to go ahead without me."

"...You've gone mad," Claus broke out, narrowing his eyes. But when Ninten didn't respond, the ginger actually looked taken aback. "I take that back – you're a flippin' nutcase," Claus announced flatly. "That's got to be the most dangerous room in the entire facility, and you want us to let you go in there _alone_?"

"Ninten, stop and listen to me. Giygas's study will definitely be guarded against intruders," Ness pointed out. His face darkened. "This isn't like the sealed desk at school. He could have all kinds of dangerous traps instead."

"I AM thinking, Ness! Can't you see?" Ninten wrung his hands desperately into the air. "Giygas is my uncle. I _need _answers. I need to know why he's acting this way. This is the best chance I've got." Anguished hazel orbs roiled with despair. "Please, guys. I _have_ to do this."

None of his friends reacted in favor to his declaration. Ness crossed his arms, looking extremely unimpressed. Claus mirrored Ness's disapproval with his trademark "What the fuck" glare, and beside him, Lucas met his eyes with a look of utmost pity. Ninten winced. All in all, his friends looked ready to pound all reason into him and fudge, now Ninten had no idea what to say-

"All right."

Dead silence. Doubling over, Ninten couldn't help but stare at whoever had uttered that unexpected response, because there was _no _way those words had come straight out of _Lucas's _mouth.

The delayed reaction was almost palpable.

3.

2.

1.

"WHAT?!"

"Lucas, how can you let him waltz into Giygas's study _a__lone_?!" Ness blurted out incredulously. He jabbed a finger at the Podunk teen. "Ninten doesn't even know any offensive PSI! He'll be completely swamped if something attacks him!"

Lucas swallowed hard, averting his eyes. "That's why I'll be tagging along."

"Have you gone crazy too, Lucas?!" Claus shouted, all semblance of calm completely gone. His icy eyes blazed angrily. "Forget about it! It's not worth the risk!"

"No, Claus. It might help us more than you think," Lucas said firmly, trying to be brave. He looked up into his twin's distraught eyes. "We still don't know what Giygas wants with us. If we want to stop him, we need to know his motives."

"Then I'm going with you," Claus responded in a heartbeat.

"Talk about being over-protective," Ninten muttered under his breath, but Claus ignored him.

"No-can-do, Claus," Ness broke out reluctantly. "We'll work faster if we split up into pairs. I'm the only one who can use PK teleport and Ninten's the only person who can unlock anything sealed with Giygas's PSI. You and Lucas will have to go separate ways."

Claus glared at him. "Whose side are you on now, Ness?"

"Look, I don't like it either," Ness scowled darkly. "But Ninten's got a point. We'll be more efficient if we split up."

"And if you haven't forgotten, Claus, Giygas is still after you and Lucas." Ninten pointed out. "Pairing you two together to wander off is just as bad as letting me go alone."

Claus hesitated, clearly torn. Logic clearly told him that his friends were right, but on the other hand, he didn't want to leave his brother out of his sight in such an eerie, dangerous place. A thousand emotions screamed and battered against ribcage, but on the surface, Claus's face betrayed little emotion.

Lucas stepped forward quietly. "Claus, you should go help Ness," his brother broke in gently. Confidence shone in those shy blue eyes. "We'll stay out of trouble. Ninten's an amazing telepath."

The frustrated ginger ran his fingers through his hair. "I guess I can't stop you," Claus finally sighed heavily. He snapped sullenly, "You'd better not make me regret this decision, Lucas."

Lucas flashed him a bright smile. "I won't," he said softly, shooting him and Ness a worried look. "You guys be careful."

"Of course," Ness gave him a cocky smirk. "We're always careful."

Lucas sighed. "That's _exactly _what I'm afraid of."

Ness's eyes sparkled with wry humor. "Well, now _that's _been settled, let's set up a checkpoint. We'll meet up with you outside at our last campsite."

"Sounds good," Ninten echoed, then they all took their separate paths.

In no time, Claus and Ness found themselves waiting impatiently for the elevator. Claus tapped his foot anxiously onto the floor, and the _rattattat_ echoed loudly on the smooth, sickly-pristine tiles. Despite Ninten's expertise in PSI, Claus couldn't help but worry about being separated from his brother.

Claus hesitated. _Am I getting too over-protective?__ It's not like I don't trust Lucas; if anyone believes in him, it's me. Heck, I've lived with him long enough to know that he can take care of himself. Especially when- _he immediately bit off his train of thought. _Lucas isn't weak, but after all we've been through..._

Ness caught his troubled expression. "We'll see them again," he reassured firmly, violet eyes trailing down the still-empty elevator shaft.

Claus said nothing and hunched up his shoulders uncomfortably.

**DING!**

**"Level 1."**

Ness quickly jabbed the button.

**"Going to the basement."**

Then the metallic doors clanged shut behind them like a sinister pair of closing jaws, and they descended downwards into the unknown.

* * *

><p>The elevator ride was uncomfortable. Granted, both of them were shrouded in silence and cold darkness, neither of which were very pleasant to begin with. Occasionally, bars of light painted Claus's pale face into existence before the surrounding gloom swallowed it up again.<p>

Claus...

The ginger twin was still an enigma to Ness, and to be honest, Ness couldn't imagine anyone more different from his blond brother.

When Ness had first met Lucas in middle school, the shy, lonely boy had somehow wormed his way into his treasured circle of close friends. Although Lucas was sometimes a little absent-minded, easily losing himself in deep train of thought, he was nothing but considerate and insightful. Even though he spoke little, it wasn't difficult to read the blond; his face was an open book, and the naive boy proudly wore his heart on his sleeve.

In contrast, Claus had immediately struck Ness as cold and sarcastic. He was direct and blunt, and never afraid to point out his own opinion. If Lucas willingly opened up his heart to people precious to him, then Claus shut everyone out. The ginger was always skeptical, always alert, always suspicious and critical of everything and everyone. In fact, after befriending Lucas, the first conversation Ness had remembered having with Claus in sixth grade went something along the lines of this:

_"Hey Claus!" Ness said brightly. "What's u-"_

_"I'm warning you," Claus cut off savagely, icy eyes narrowed in a piercing stare. "You fuck with my brother and you'll have me to answer to."_

_Ness was completely bewildered by the turn of events. "Huh?"_

_Claus cocked an eyebrow. "Don't pretend that you don't know," he drawled coldly. "Lucas might not be telling me, but I'm not stupid. Someone's bullying him behind my back."_

_"You think I'M behind it?!"_

_"I know your type," Claus said dismissively. "__You expect everyone to worship you because you can hit a stupid ball out of a park, then you treat everyone you deem weak like trash."_

_"Excuse me?" Ness shouted indignantly, clenching his fists. "I don't manipulate other people because I'm on the baseball team!"_

_"Lies. That's what you all say." Claus's eyes had suddenly turned frosty, and a chill ran down Ness's spine. "A lot of people have taken advantage of my brother because he's nice. I won't let you be one of them."_

Hell, even _that _particular memory gave Ness nightmares. After that incident, Ness had been angry, and rightfully so, at being so wrongfully accused. He was almost convinced that the ginger was an insane psycho who loved seeking pleasure in threatening people. Then around a week later...

_Ness fumed, clearly in a bad mood. He had gotten another crummy grade in a History assignment, and right afterwards, Pokey had confronted him in his own creepy, mocking way. Muttering obscenities under his breath, Ness stalked off, heading off to his mother's street food stand. But a flash of yellow caught his eye, and he barely noticed a red-and-yellow striped shirt whip into the men's room. There was only one person who matched that description. Brightening up slightly, he followed mischievously, ready to scare the flustered blonde out of his wits..._

_But Ness was instead met with an unpleasant surprise.__"Lucas?" Ness started hoarsely._

_The said boy violently flinched back from the running sink, slamming his back painfully against the stone wall. Lucas gasped, cradling his broken arm. "N-Ness?"_

_Frightened blue eyes met startled violet. Lucas's usually neat hair was a bird's nest, and his clothes were mussed up. Dirt caked his face so that it looked paler than usual._

_It didn't take a genius to find out what had happened. Claus's angry words filtered back into his head, and rage engulfed Ness like tsunami. "Why didn't you tell me someone was bullying you?" he demanded. __Horrified realization hit him. "Has this been happening to you every day after school?"_

_"N-No! __It's no one! I-I mean," the blond panicked. He swallowed hard. "I accidentally tripped and b-broke my arm."_

_He was obviously lying. __"Shit," Ness swore, making Lucas look up in alarm - Ness never cursed unless he was REALLY angry. "I'm serious, Lucas! This isn't bullying - this is torture!"_

_"No, it's not!" Lucas cried, gritting his teeth against the tears of pain. Fumbling for the sink, he leaned against it heavily. "I-I can manage...__"__  
><em>

_"Here." Ness slid next to him, acting as a crutch. "Lean against me. I'll help you find Claus."_

_Lucas's eyes dilated in fear. "Ness," he begged frantically. "P-Please don't tell my brother! No one's bullying me, I swear!"_

_His unstable state rattled Ness; he had never seen Lucas act this way before. But through some persuasion and coaxing, Ness reluctantly agreed not to tell his brother, and supported him out of the bathroom. Just as they stepped out, Claus turned the corner._

_"Lucas!" Without another glance at Ness, the ginger had hurried over to his younger brother with a look of worry. Ness was startled by the lack of malice in those features: there was no skepticism, no biting sarcasm lurking in those eyes. His concern was genuine. _

_"I found him in the bathroom," Ness said, and then that indifferent mask flitted back. Claus briefly scrutinized him with a highly piercing look, then narrowed his eyes__. In that moment, Ness was so sure that the ginger was going to pummel him like a punching bag._

_To his surprise, he didn't. "Thanks," Claus muttered instead and ushered his twin away, leaving Ness to wonder if the demonic ginger had actually thanked him._

But even since then, he and Claus had never been the closest of friends. Claus had finally stopped eying him suspiciously, and they could joke around somewhat, but for some strange reason, Ness thought that Claus sometimes resented him. Although for what reason, Ness had no idea.

Ness frowned and stole a glance at the stoic ginger. _I hope he's not mad at me for neglecting to tell him about PSI._

**DING!**

**"Basement."**

Stepping out, the two boys silently hurried down the long, seemingly-endless hallway. The end of the corridor opened up to a large room almost completely swamped with a glittering glass dome. The entrance still lay open at the top, a hole in the middle of the perfect dome.

"Paula?" Ness shouted, cupping his hands to his mouth.

"Ness!" A happy voice. "You're here!"

"About time," Came Kumatora's grumpy response.

Ness stepped forward, keeping his gaze fixed on the glass. "Claus, can you-?"

"No need to ask," Claus said bluntly, readying a sparking finger towards the doorway. "I'll watch your back. Hurry though."

Ness flashed him a grin. "Great." The familiar sensation of energy rushed to his limbs like a sugar high, and then he shouted. "PK TELEPORT!"

* * *

><p>Claus didn't have to wait long. In a few minutes, there was a flash, and a loud coughing as several, soot-covered people materialized in front of him.<p>

"Wow, that actually worked!" Ness announced gleefully, his eyes blinking brightly amidst the soot on his face.

"About time it did," Paula smirked, poking him teasingly on the shoulder. "Have you been practicing elemental PSI like I taught you?"

"Just PK Fire," Ness said sheepishly. Paula glowered at him, and Ness prepared to bolt for dear life...but to his surprise, he was roughly pulled into a tight hug. Immediately, Ness accepted her comfort, closing his eyes. All of his friends were alright. Paula was finally here, safe and sound in his arms.

"You actually came," Paula whispered, finally releasing him from her embrace. All the worry she had been hiding behind her confident mask shone out through her slightly watery eyes. "For so long, I thought-"

"No way," Ness said firmly. "I'd never abandon you guys."

Suddenly, Paula leaned in and pecked him gratefully on the cheek. Ness gaped, and he could feel his cheeks started to burn. He melted into a puddle, and his last coherent thought dissolved into gibberish. _Uhbublurbglub..._

Paula gave an amused giggle, and Kumatora rolled her eyes in exasperation.

Claus's voice interrupted the sappy moment. "Ew, get a room," the ginger said, scrunching up his nose.

Paula shot him a look. "Did you say something, Claus?" she asked in a dangerously sweet voice. Her hands had erupted into almost nonexistent - yet blazing - flames.

"...Nope."

Ana finally made her way over, clothes finally free of ash. "Thanks for getting us out of there, Ness," she said sincerely. "We all owe you one." Raking her eyes over, she spotted Claus and brightened up in recognition. "Oh, and hello, Lucas!"

Claus sighed wearily, then pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm Claus," he droned monotonously in the manner of someone who had encountered this mistake too many times.

Aside from their contrasting personal characteristics, Lucas and Claus were physically identical in almost any manner: body build, height, hairstyle. The only noticeable difference was that Claus's hair was a slightly darker amber-brown shade from the brighter orange-yellow honey hue of his twin. This difference was often very subtle, and it even took Ness and Ninten a while to recognize and set them apart by sight. Ana, who had never actually spoken to the twins before, would have every reason to be confused.

Immediately, Ana flushed. "I'm sorry!" she flustered. "I saw you with Ness, so I automatically assumed-"

"No, it's okay," Claus casually waved off her apology, feeling a slight twinge of annoyance at the hint that Lucas hung around Ness quite often. But he quickly shook it off. "People mistake me for my twin all the time."

Ness smirked in disbelief, finally getting over his _blurbablurb _moment. "You as Lucas? Please. You're like the least Lucas-like person I've ever known."

Claus rolled his eyes. "Of course, Ness, this could be a plot twist, and I could secretly be Lucas in disguise."

Ness did a double take. He studied the twin carefully, then his face perked into a sly grin. "Stop bluffing, Claus."

"Oh, well." Claus shrugged his shoulders. "It was worth a shot."

Picky could only speechlessly stare at Ness, mouth agape. For a second, Ness worried that his sudden, energetic display of PSI had been too much for the boy for handle...Then the young boy excitedly rambled, "Wooooow! Did we teleport? That was so cool!" He bounced on his heels eagerly. "Are we gonna to do it again?"

"Woah there, champ!" Ness protested with a chuckle, ruffling his hair. "Glad to see you're safe in one piece. Let's get you home."

Picky shook his head in amazement. "First Paula, and now you...You never told me you had supernatural powers!"

"You never asked," Ness laughed, before placing his lopsided baseball hat on the blonde's head.

"Captain."

Ness turned his head to face the new speaker, and his grin widened. "Poo!"

"It is a relief that you have managed to escape from Giygas's clutches," Poo stated, slanted eyes flickering around their surroundings warily. "I apologize that I have not perfected the "curving ball" yet, but I was more preoccupied with the thoughts of my own survival."

"You don't have to keep calling me Captain, Poo." Ness stifled a laugh. "And it's okay! Let's just work on baseball _after_ we clean up this mess."

"Yeah, yeah, everyone is happy, butterflies for all, we get it. Let's get a move on," Kumatora cut in curtly. She punched a fist into the wall, and a cocky smirk decorated her face. "Oooh, man, I've been wanting to punch something solid for _age__s_."

"You're weird," Claus deadpanned.

"You're one to talk, ginger-face," Kumatora snapped back.

Ness stepped in between them before they could continue arguing. "Claus," he warned.

Claus sulked sullenly. "I won't fight unless she does."

"So how do we get out?" Picky quipped, respectfully offering Ness back his cap. His eyes shone with trust and hope; Ness and Claus's arrival seemed to have boosted the little boy's morale.

Plopping the hat back onto his unruly black hair, Ness pointed down the hallway. "We take the elevator up, then I'll use PK Teleport. We escape into the wilderness, meet up with Ninten and Lucas outside, then make a break for it. Quick and easy."

Paula frowned, crossing her arms. "Ness, I really hate to be that one pessimistic person, but don't you think this entire operation went a little _too_ peacefully?"

"Paula's right," Poo added, studying the corridor cautiously. "Giygas did his best to keep us trapped in here, and then all of the sudden, you and your friends mysteriously manage to sneak in and rescue us." He narrowed his eyes grimly. "This makes me uneasy..."

"Relax, we stole his blueprint and hacked into his computer. Giygas won't realize until we're long gone," Ness laughed. "What could possibly happen?"

Then a shrill alarm squawked loudly, revolving a flashing red. Immediately, they clapped their hands to their ears.

**"Intruders Alert! ****Intruders Alert!"**

Kumatora stiffened, causing all of them to halt behind her at the screeching sound. Picky squeaked in fright, almost bumping into an equally terrified Ana. Poo and Paula exchanged startled looks.

Ness stared at Claus in disbelief. "I thought you disabled the security!"

"I did," Claus said slowly. "We didn't set the alarm off. Someone else did."

Comprehension dawned, and awful realization struck both of them.

"Ninten!"

"_Lucas!_"


	16. Chapter 16

**Author's Note:**

**Heya guys! **

**I accidentally made one crucial typo in the past chapters and have fixed it: Giygas's glass dome doesn't reflect PSI, but absorbs it. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, you'll know what I mean later. **

**I didn't realize how dark this chapter was until I finished writing it. Seriously, this literally outlines my entire internal debate last Sunday evening:**

**"Maybe I should cut this out..."**

**"But _ANGST_."**

**"This description is too graphic..."**

**"But _ANGST_."**

**"This character sounds too...angsty."**

**"But _ANGST_."**

**I ended up cutting nothing out. My reason: writing is an expression of art. If it's gross, it's gross. If it's supposed to be sad, well gosh darn it, I sure hope it doesn't sound as happy as heck! As long as the characters aren't OoC and the scenes aren't pointless blather, I'm somewhat satisfied.**

**ALL ABOARD THE LUCAS DLC HYPE TRAIN (again)!**

**And to answer your reviews!**

**Angel-woof: Thanks for the compliment. :) As for my Harry Potter crossover...erm...oops. :x I was an idiot and wrote the fic before I realized how much time this story was going to take. This story is actually behind by a few chapters, and I'm getting worried that my plot's slowing down. It should hopefully catch up in time, but I do have an annoying tendency to milk out feelings and emotions. Darn my writing style. ****And hooray for no table-flipping or wall-punching! xD And that makes two of us; I love Kumatora too ;) As for your hunch on what happened to Ninten and Lucas...we'll see if you're right. :)**

**Guest: YES! There was a LoZ reference! Earlier that day, I was (for whatever godforsaken reason) watching the "Excuse me, Princess" LoZ video on Youtube. My subconscious must have snuck the quote in...even though Kumatora's technically the princess, not Paula. :x Oh well. And this was the first time I wrote a flash forward (I prefer flashbacks), but hooray for predicting the future! Now if only I could predict _my_ future...**

**ConnorTheSpelingPro: Thanks. :) And gosh darn it, STOP PREDICTING THE NEXT CHAPTER, CONNOR! XD Just kidding, but yes, I did write a Ninten/Lucas POV for Chapter 15. Due to length, however, it got shifted to _this_ chapter. Claus's behavior might sound slightly extreme, but we will delve into the story behind his over-protectiveness in chapter 17. :) And it's okay; I love characterization over plot too. xD**

**PizzaPower: I know what you mean. Poor Lucas. ;_; As for who broke his arm, it was Pokey (lol it's like in one sentence in Chapter 12, so I'd be surprised if anyone caught it), but we'll be getting into the details of Lucas being bullied in a later chapter. And as for how Picky got kidnapped...I guess it can't hurt to say that he was jumped on his way home from school. And thanks. :) But I'm actually afraid that my plot's slowing down so much haha**

**OXYD: Oooh...a traitor? ;D _Interesting_...Well, we'll find out who triggered the alarm.**

**Readergirl27: Thank you~ I love Kumatora too! :D You play the cornet? ...I wish I could play brass instruments *Sulks* The only instruments I can play are the viola, the violin, and piano. I self-taught myself ocarina *high-fives Ninten*, but I'm still a noob. xD **

**Silvereyer: I'm sorry; I can't save you, because I like Lucas/Claus brotherly fluff too DX Ahhh! And thanks. :) If Claus had been the main protagonist for Mother 3, I'm sure Duster would've run away crying because he would've argued with Kumatora so much. xD And about that tiny NessXPaula moment...Shhhhhh. You saw nothing. And holy crap, I never realized how much Paula resembled Peach; they even wield frying pans too. O_O **

**Dude, you raise a VERY good point, which I wondered if anyone else noticed. I have already written a future chapter explaining why Giygas had wanted Pokey to work for him. Nice catch! 500 cool points to you! B)**

**DarkFoxKit: I agree. Claus would probably go all "mama-bear" on anyone who hurts Lucas. xD There is a reason behind his over-protectiveness, and we'll find out next chapter. And, I totally agree with your point: Claus and Ninten might bicker a lot, but I imagine their friendship to be much closer than that between Claus and Ness. As for whether Ness and Claus can get over their past grudge...we'll see. :) **

**CrankySky: Yup. Ninten and Lucas are in _big_ trouble...Possibly. Who knows? And I do wonder how Ness and Claus would react...we'll see ;D I like writing about Claus and Kumatora bickering with each other. It's fun and strangely stress-relieving.**

**Guest: ...Er...you got me. So originally, I pronounced Claus as "Santa Claus," but then I found out about the alternate "House Claus" pronunciation. Now, I prefer the "House Claus." Oops. :x When I write, I sometimes forget to take pronunciation into account, but I don't mind how you say Claus's name. Whatever makes you happy makes me happy. B) **

**Guest:**** Okay. *Decides not to upload anything for the next two months* Mwahaha maybe I'm serious, maybe I'm not? Who knows? We'll see. B)**

**[Insert Appropriate Disclaimer Here]**

* * *

><p><strong><span>Additional Disclaimer<span>: Gore. Or at least _attempted_ gore. Ugh I've never written horror before. If anything sounds stupid, I'm sorry. Just know that I tried. *Bangs head against desk***

* * *

><p><strong><span>Setting<span>: _Past._**

"Everything's gonna be okay."

That used to be his father's slogan. Even in the darkest of days, his father had stubbornly believed that things were always going to get better. And so, for all of his life, Ness lived by it.

As a young child, Ness was oblivious to his parent's worsening financial situation. He was too young to know that his father, who would always find time to play catch in the backyard with him, was secretly stressed out from debt and unemployment. Ness had no idea that his parents would hunch over their bills late at night, discussing and worrying about their financial woes. All he remembered was that they were happy, and that was good enough reason for him to be happy as well.

But now, Ness was confused. The loud voices were back more frequently. The yelling. The shouting.

Pain.

Hurt.

Anger.

He hated it so much.

It first took root like a deadly disease. His workaholic father had finally found a new occupation with a high payroll, but the job was so time-consuming that he never even found time to come home, preferring to sleep in his office. If the embodiment of a living ghost existed, it was he.

His absence in Ness's Youth Baseball Tournaments became ever-increasingly consistent. At first, Ness had tried to convince himself with half-hearted excuses. No way was it because his father didn't love him. Perhaps his father had an incredibly important staff meeting. Or maybe his father was too tired from work. But at one point, the man had stopped coming altogether.

Finally, after his team had narrowly lost Semifinals in a crushing defeat, Ness had mustered the courage to call his office, hoping that his father would respond with _something,_ anything to break the cold, painful silence.

One ring.

Two.

Then: "I'm sorry, champ. Daddy's busy right now," and the line closed with an abrupt _click_, leaving behind a young boy clutching the plastic phone receiver with nothing and everything to say.

Arguing and bickering rang in his weary ears. That's all his parents seemed to do these days.

"Ness, honey, why don't you go check if Tracy's sleeping?" His mother suggested to him in that strained smile. His father stood behind her in the kitchen with a frustrated, weather-beaten exhaustion weighing his features.

Ness wasn't fooled. A fifth grade child he might be, but he knew what was going to come next. As soon as he disappeared upstairs, the angry voices would start. First came the harsh, barely-audible whispers. Within minutes, voices would rise, and the awful shouting began. Then there was the rough slamming of a car violently peeling away from the parking lot, and a broken woman's sobbing.

It happened every time.

Ness knew. He counted. One-hundred-and-twelve times.

"Please don't fight," Ness begged with a childish innocence, even though he knew it was a hopeless cause.

His mother almost seemed to break down in distress right there and then, but managed to keep her facade up. She embraced him reassuringly, and Ness closed his eyes. The faint scent of rosemary and honey tickled his nose as his mother's warm hand ran through his unruly black hair.

"Oh, sweetie," she whispered. "Sometimes moms and dads argue, but we still love each other very much."

"Promise?"

His father's own violet eyes softened. "We promise, champ. Everything's gonna be okay." He warmly plopped his baseball cap into his son's head. "Now run along to your sister like a good, young chap."

Fingering the bill of his father's prized, over-sized baseball cap, Ness forced a smile. "Okay," he managed to say through numb lips, _but __it wasn't __okay it never was and the anger and pain and sadness would cycle over again-_

He bolted upstairs. Less than five minutes later, the awful bickering began.

"You haven't answered the phone or come home in two months! Don't you care about the children? What about Tracy? What about Ness? You know how heartbroken he gets when you're never around!"

"My new job will get us out of debt more quickly!"

"Oh, is that all you're worried about now? Our debt? We _have_ money! And as soon as the sales for my next novel come in, we'll have enough money to pay the debt off! Look at you - You're going to wear yourself out at this rate!"

"Okay, so my job's a little more demanding than I expected! So what? We could use the extra money! Look at our rent! We barely paid that off after the car broke down!"

It was the One-hundred-and-thirteenth time. The One-hundred-and-thirteenth lie.

Two days later, his parents filed the divorce. Ness never saw his father again.

His mother had been nothing but supportive of her children after the divorce. She was a tough cookie, yet soft in the inside, and Ness loved her so. But sometimes, he caught the wistful look in her eyes, the solemn brooding he seemed to have inherited. They were far from poor, but his mother worked hard to keep the three of them afloat.

Sure, his father now called from time to time. He wasn't a bad person. His parents were still civil on the phone. Every time Ness picked up the dial, his father would call him _champ_ in that warm voice of his, and Ness could close his eyes and imagine that he was there right next to him, watching another college baseball game camped out on the poofy, red armchair in the living room on a dusk-lit Saturday evening.

But whenever his father called, Ness couldn't help but ask every time: "...Mom misses you a lot. When are you coming home?"

And each time, he would get the same weary response: "One day, when you're older, champ, you'll understand."

In hindsight, the divorce seemed inevitable. But Ness had hoped. He couldn't imagine his parents suddenly living apart from each other. That's what strangers did right? Not his mom and dad. His mom and dad loved each other.

But that was when the walls of reality brutally crashed down onto his head. Gone was the childhood innocence, the delusions, the lies. There was only truth, and cold, hard truth dictated one awful fact: His father was never coming back.

Everything was not going to be okay.

* * *

><p><strong><span>Setting<span>: Present_._**

Kumatora eyed the wailing siren bemusedly.

"-and there goes the alarm," she declared dryly. "Good thing your friends are waiting outside the room for back-up, right?" Kumatora laughed loudly. "I mean, _please_, you've got to be stupid if you let them wander around this place alone!"

When neither Ness nor Claus laughed along with her though, Kumatora abruptly stopped. She immediately caught the panicked expressions on their faces, then groaned. "..._please_ tell me you're not serious."

"They must have accidentally set off the alarm," Ness said weakly.

Kumatora swore loudly. "Motherfuc-"

Paula clapped her hands against a squirming Picky's ears. "We have children present," she snapped.

"Oh. I'm sorry, _princess._"

"I told you not to call me _princess_!"

"Ness?" Picky looked up at him with terrified eyes. "What do we do now?"

Ness snapped out of his reverie. He had to take control over the situation before it spiraled out of hand.

"Okay, change of plans," Ness announced abruptly. "We can't all track down Lucas and Ninten together. It'll waste too much time, and we'll all end up getting captured."

"I'm not leaving Lucas behin-"

"I didn't say we were, Claus," Ness said curtly, fixing his eye on all of them. "Claus and I will track down Lucas and Ninten. In the meantime, the rest of you should head home."

Immediately as expected, there was a loud flurry of outrage.

"B-But Ness!" Poo managed to sputter indignantly.

"What? No way!" Paula exclaimed, narrowing her eyes. "Ness, I'm perfectly capable of helping you!"

Kumatora scowled. "Talk about sexist!" she snapped at Ness, flexing a buff bicep. "What makes you think I'm not as capable of taking down enemies as you are?"

"Talk about arrogant," Claus drawled.

"Screw off, ginger."

"HEY!" Ness shouted firmly that even Kumatora and Claus fell silent. To be honest, Ness _really_ hated to part with his friends so soon...but he knew the situation couldn't be helped. "Look, I don't doubt any of you, okay? But we need someone to head over to the police, or tell our friends and family what's going on."

"Then why don't you two go home and leave this to us?" Kumatora countered, narrowing her eyes.

"From what I've heard, you know Duster pretty well," Claus countered curtly. "Do you know his dad?"

"Wess? Of course I do! That guy works for the police!"

"Well, there you go. Then the police would take your account more seriously than any of ours," Claus reasoned, crossing his arms. "Look, I hate to admit it, but you're our best shot."

"We _have _to get down to the bottom of this," Ness added. "Besides, if you haven't forgotten, someone needs to bring Picky home." Ness tried to sway the older girl, who still looked skeptical. "_Please_, Kumatora."

"No, Ness! Let me tag along!" Picky suddenly blurted out, waving his arms around frantically. "I'll..I'll do anything!"

"Picky-"

"My brother betrayed everyone. I need to fix his mistakes." His bottom lip wobbled. "I-I...I swear I'll be good!"

Something about his wavering voice touched Ness, and he crouched down to his height. "Picky," he started firmly. "This isn't anyone's fault except Giygas's, okay? You can't use PSI, and the last thing we need is for you to get hurt." Ness studied him carefully. "You shouldn't keep your brother waiting."

Picky sniffled, then wiped his eyes, nodding.

Kumatora's fierce expression softened by a fraction. "Alrighty then." She cracked her knuckles and called out loudly, "Let's hit the road, people! If those Starmen cross my path, I'm gonna show them who's punk," she growled. "Messin' with me was the worst mistake Giygas could've ever made."

"I, too, will escort Picky home safely. PK teleport Beta should help us escape from the facility." Poo flexed his hands. "Unfortunately, I am out of PSI...Ness, if I may...?"

"Go for it."

Poo closed his eyes, tapping into Ness's PSI core. Ness felt his energy diminish slightly, then Poo straightened up. "Thank you. I did not take much, but it is sufficient enough for me to teleport us a considerable distance away from here."

"Wonderful," Kumatora said bluntly, briskly striding off. "C'mon, Pee. Enough talk, more action!"

"For the last time, my name is POO!" the distraught boy groaned, all of his characteristic patience spent. Kumatora rolled her eyes.

"Lighten up, I was just teasing...JINX!" she exclaimed, slapping him on the back. Her gleeful cackle bounced down the hallway. "Hahaa! I'll never get sick of this!"

"Don't mind her, Poo," Ness muttered sympathetically. "I'm sure she's not serious."

"I know." Poo sighed like a defeated man. "Patience is a virtue," he grumbled, before drawing himself to full height. "We won't let you down, Captain."

"We might not be there for you four, but we'll be rooting for you all the same," Ana added quietly, ushering Picky over to Poo's side.

Ness grinned. "Likewise to you both. Safe travels."

Paula narrowed her eyes. "You'd better not don't die on us, bighead boy."

Ness chuckled, fingering the brim of his cap. "Everything's gonna be okay," he promised. Paula recognized his catch-phrase, and smiled weakly.

"Wait. Take this," Claus said absentmindedly, tossing something small and metallic into the air. A surprised Paula caught the tiny screwdriver with her palm, and Claus gestured to the metal cuffs on their arms. "That should take care of those tracking devices."

"Thanks," Paula said gratefully. "And Claus?"

The ginger snapped his attention back to her.

"I'm sure Lucas and Ninten are fine," Paula said softly, placing her hands on her hips in a sudden look of blazing confidence. "Don't lose hope!"

Claus said nothing, but his tense shoulders relaxed by a barely noticeable fraction.

All of them averted their eyes as Poo began dashing around in a circle. Sparks flew, light seared their sockets. Then there was a huge flash of light, a slight pop and crackle of energy, and everyone completely vanished without a trace.

_Everything's gonna be okay. _Ness sure hoped he didn't have to eat those words any time soon.

An antsy Claus literally pulled him out of his thoughts. "Great. They escaped. Let's go already!" he cried out impatiently, dragging him down the hallway.

* * *

><p>Luck was not on their side today. Just as the two boys broke into a mad dash for the elevator, it opened with a cheery <em>Ding!<em>

**"Basement."**

"Son of a goat!" Claus swore when several Starmen piled out of the elevator.

There was a particularly loud _crack _of a baseball bat hitting steel, and Ness's voice bellowed from beside him. "Gigyas must have upgraded these things!"

"Fine then. Let's try this out again," Claus gritted his teeth. "PK LOVE!"

Instantly, Claus doubled over as sheer exhaustion forced him to his knees. The uncontrollable blast of power wildly ricocheted off into random directions, shredding through the metal like paper. A blue hexagon hit his hand, and Claus hissed, yanking it back instinctively as if someone had stabbed his palm ruthlessly with a cold, sharp dagger.

Next to him, Ness shouted out in pain as another wayward hexagon sliced his knee. "Ow! Watch where you're aiming!"

"I don't understand!" Claus yelled in frustration. When Lucas had used PK Love, the blue, shimmering hexagons hadn't hurt him or his friends. His PSI was safe, powerful, and controlled.

_Why is my PK Love so destructive?_

"There's too many of them!" Ness yelled, pushing him into one of the vacant rooms as more Starmen poured in from the elevator and other rooms. Ness wrenched the metal door shut, and both boys breathed heavily into the deserted room.

"PK Teleport?" Claus suggested, and Ness shook his head. Teleporting his friends across the forcefield had drained his PSI considerably.

"Not enough PSI," he grunted, and Claus swore again. They had just locked themselves into a dead end with no way out.

_Dejavu._

Claus wondered if Fate was really cruel enough to stuff him into ironic situations on purpose. Perhaps some all-knowing being was sitting leisurely at home, writing down his future into a laptop for the rabid pleasure of a fandom. Claus shook his head to clear his thoughts. What did _he_ know about the mechanics of Fate?

Rapid indents formed on the plate of metal as the Starmen pounded relentlessly against it. The robotic drone echoed through the door. "You. Shall. Not. Pass!"

"_So_ original," Claus said sarcastically.

Ness trudged over, opening his mouth to respond, then promptly fell flat on his face. Hoisting himself back up, he winced and rubbed at his knees, wondering what had tripped him in the first place.

A cardboard box.

Ness frowned, and slowly traced the strange trail of boxes with his eyes.

Nothing noteworthy here. A humongous pile of packages containing coding and precious robotic parts was dumped in a huge, messy pile right in the center of the room. A couple of envelopes were strewn out here and there on the floor. Pretty much, it looked as though some giant puke monster had barfed out mail from the ceiling. Beautiful.

But this made no sense. If there was one thing _everyone_ knew, Giygas was a neurotic neat freak.

Maybe it was just a stupid question, but why would the boxes even be strewn in such a random, haphazardous pile? Machine power could've easily transferred the packages down and stacked them neatly against the wall. There was no need to create a giant mess like this. Either Giygas was plain lazy, or...

That's it.

What if the boxes _hadn't_ been delivered to the basement manually? Ness's breath hitched in his throat, and his eyes slowly traveled up to the ceiling.

_Where there's a mail room, there's always a mail chute._

Ness desperately began clearing out a way to the center of the mail chute.

Claus frowned at him. "Ness, what are you doing?"

"Help me clear this stuff out," he grunted. Realization seemed to dawn on the ginger, and Claus was immediately at his side. Together, they pushed at the cardboard boxes. Package after package toppled out of the way, and hard contents clattered and clanked against the hard tiles. Within a few seconds, they were gazing up helplessly at the long, gaping chute hanging high above their heads.

"Wonderful," Claus deadpanned. "...if only we knew how to _magically_ sprout wings in less than sixty seconds."

_**SMASH!** _

Claus jumped as a Starman punctured the door with an arm. "We could stack the boxes up to the top..." he trailed off skeptically, but both of them knew it was an impossible feat. The mail chute was too high, and they were running out of time. Fast.

Suddenly, Ness started taking off his shoes and socks.

Claus cocked an eyebrow. "Ness, what are you-"

"Claus." That mad glint was back. "I have a crazy idea."

The ginger eyed him warily. "What is it?"

"It might sound weird, but just trust me," Ness continued, stuffing his shoes into his bag. "If you do, there might be a good chance we can get out of this alive."

"Okay, great," Claus drawled impatiently, glancing at the Starmen through the half-shredded metal door. "Now are you actually going to tell me what your _crazy idea_ is, or are we just going to stand here forever?"

"Newton's Third Law."

"Newton's Third...what?"

"For every action in nature, there is an equal and opposite reaction," Ness quoted.

Claus scowled. "I know what Newton's Third Law is!" he snapped. "I take physics with you!"

"Glad to know, Claus," Ness responded vaguely, crouching down low. "Now hop onto my back."

"...Excuse me?"

There was an awful crunch of metal as the door smashed in half. It was only a matter of seconds before the Starmen flooded into the room.

"Claus," Ness said in an unusually calm voice that left no room to argue. "Unless you want to die a horrible, painful death by metal men, I suggest that you hop onto my back. _Now_."

Claus caught the no-nonsense tone in Ness's voice, and for once did as he was told. Grumbling under his breath (This is _so embarrassing..._), the ginger reluctantly swept a foot between Ness's linked arms and straddled his waist like a baby marsupial. It was a ridiculously comical sight; Claus was slightly taller than Ness, so his lanky legs protruded awkwardly from their piggy-back formation. Ness arose, readjusting his grip to balance their weight.

Claus's face was as beet red as his flaming hair. "Well?" he snapped.

"Cast PK Shield around us."

The ginger closed his eyes. "Done."

Ness smirked, storing up his PSI like a soda can. "Now hang on tight."

Claus's eyes widened, finally getting the gist of his plan. "Oh no. Bad idea, Ness. _Really_ bad idea-"

"PK FIRE!" Ness yelled gleefully, shooting an explosive shock wave of energy out from his feet.

To this day, Claus would never admit how loudly he screamed when they shot up into the mail chute like a bottle rocket.

* * *

><p>Ninten had felt both relieved and uneasy when Lucas had volunteered to tag along. Relief because he wasn't alone in his suicidal plight; unease because he now had to worry about the wellbeing of another person other than himself.<p>

_So much for a solo mission,_ Ninten thought. The Podunk teen knew that he was the reason they had all decided to split up in the first place. If anyone got hurt now, Ninten was to blame.

Sneaking a look at the cautious blond, who was silently trailing behind him like a ghost, Ninten couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt. Despite Lucas's calm show of confidence earlier, the blond's disquiet pulsed through the air. He was clearly worried about his brother and Ness, no doubt.

Ninten didn't blame him. The Podunk teen himself had to wonder the same.

_Had it been wise to pair Claus up with Ness?_

Whenever Lucas was absent, Ninten could sense the unmistakable, unspoken tension clashing between the two. Sure, Claus wasn't the nicest guy in the universe, and Ninten bickered with him 24-7, but there was nothing serious behind their words, no actual weight behind their quarreling.

His attitude towards Ness, though, was a whole, 'nuther story. It wasn't exactly mean...but it wasn't exactly friendly either.

Perhaps Ninten was just worrying over something trivial; not everyone clicked together easily, and Claus was no exception. But whatever the reason, it didn't help that both of them were pretty hot-headed and incredibly stubborn. It was only a matter of time before that tension was going to splatter into a huge mess again, and Ninten did _not_ want to play "counselor."

Seriously. Counseling either of them was like placing TNT into a blazing inferno, and then sweet-talking the bomb not to explode.

"They'll be fine," Ninten muttered, more or less to reassure himself, and Lucas nodded wordlessly.

In a weird way, Ninten sorely missed Claus's snide side-remarks. Lucas's silence - although far from cold - sometimes felt a little awkward, and even though Claus could be brash as hell, the deadpan snarker managed to make fun of every awful situation with his sarcasm.

A heavy set of iron-studded, gleaming double doors now sneered over them. Thick, pristine chains embraced the steel doors tightly before looping securely around an ornate, golden key lock. A tremendous buzz of magnificent power washed over them, and they shivered.

Lucas looked awed. "Is that-"

"Giygas's PSI," Ninten said quietly, unrolling his sleeves and placing his bare palm against the lock. It was cold and frigid like ice, and chills crept up from his fingertips into his spine.

There was no need to talk.

The pair tensed anxiously, warily watching Ninten's palm glow and flicker like a dying lantern. They couldn't have been less prepared; neither of them had any inkling of what could happen, much less of what awaited them on the other side.

Apprehension set Ninten's imagination aflame. The words, "Giygas's study," immediately painted a fictitious mental image of a creepy, dark dungeon lurking with sadistic torture devices and rusty shackles hanging from damp, cold stone walls. Knowing his uncle, Ninten couldn't help but feel that Giygas was bound to jinx their luck. Once they set foot on the other side, the man would probably pop out of some 18th Century coffin like one of those weird birthday surprises, then sic his army of manufactured zombies on them to tear out their skulls and - God forbid! - eat their brains.

...Ninten was very happy with where his brain was right now, thank you very much.

His thoughts must have accidentally seeped out of his mind, because Lucas involuntarily shuddered next to him. _Please, Ninten! We're literally buried several feet underground. I don't want to think about the living dead!_

Y_ou can't blame me_, Ninten argued fearfully. _Giygas is, like, the only teacher who completely tears you apart if you forget to bring a pencil to class!_

_Have you been watching _Walking Dead_?_

_That's not the point!_

They were interrupted when Ninten's palm flashed a brilliant white. There was an ominous _clatter _as the chains slithered away from the keyhole. Then the latch unlocked with a stiff _clack_.

Ninten's heart bolted into his throat. For several agonizing seconds, the two boys reluctantly eyed the forbidden, dark sliver of space in high trepidation.

Ninten sighed. "...I guess we should probably get going."

They cautiously stepped into the gloom.

Almost immediately, buzzing fluorescent lights flickered on, assaulting their eyes and illuminating the entire room in a cold, sickly-pristine white. When his eyes had finally adjusted to the sudden brightness, Ninten surveyed his surroundings in surprise.

He was sorely disappointed. The study looked rather plain and ordinary. An oak desk sat in the center of the room, surrounded by several of those generic, green file cabinets you could buy at WalMart. With such a carefully-crafted, ornate lock on the double doors outside, Ninten had been expecting something little more interesting than...well, _this_. What a huge let-down.

_Ninten, _Lucas reminded quietly. _Focus._

The Podunk boy internally cursed. He was letting his jittery nerves get the better of him, and his cheeks heated up. _Right_._ I was just distracted - it won't happen again. _He glanced at the oak desk. _I'll sweep his desk. You should crack open the file cabinets._

Lucas nodded, then strode over to the other side of the room, carefully yanking a drawer open. Silently, they searched for something - _anything - _that would shed further light on their situation.

Time ticked by. Their seconds were definitely numbered, and each _tick_ of the wall clock set Ninten's jittery nerves ablaze. A bead of moisture rolled down his forehead, and Ninten could feel his entire body burn from sheer adrenaline.

Carelessly, Ninten snatched at the papers stacked neatly on the desk. It was like digging through a scavenger hunt; piles of graded Calculus tests were mixed haphazardly between sheets, and Ninten thought he might have seen his own exam before it disappeared in the massive fray. He was tempted to flip back and look at his score (_Damn, I really hope I did well on that related rates quiz_), but he managed to check himself in time.

A particularly old, patchy-frayed yellow document caught his eye, and Ninten smoothed it out. Age and time had rubbed away some of the words and delicately inked scribbles. Yet as Ninten quickly skimmed down the walls of text, a few decipherable sentences jumped out and caught his eye.

**_19XX_**

**_"The disease is resistant to PSI. Any attempts to heal the suffering victim with PSI Life UP or PSI Healing is temporary. Death is inevitable..."_**

**_"...She is growing weaker by the day. I can feel it. Every night, I sit by her bedside, clutching her hand, and her pulse grows ever weaker. She is dying, and there is nothing I can do to stop it..."_**

**_"...Seven Needles. The Shaman mentioned that the tremendous power needed to pull a Needle stems straight from the heart, which explains why only PK Love users are destined for such a task..."_**

**_"...under New Pork City..."_**

**_ "George told me that my nephew, Ninten, can also use PSI. This is it. This is the moment the Shaman had been speaking of. I must find another job to blend in, to keep a closer eye on this remarkable generation of people in this city..."_**

None of this gibberish made sense. Frustrated, Ninten took a deep breath and massaged his temples.

_Think, Ninten. Think like you're in Mock Trial. What would you do?_

Whenever he was presented with a complicated court case, he would try to break it down. Keep things simple.

So that's what Ninten did. Carefully, he ordered the deductions in his head with a methodical steadiness, and racked his brains in an attempt to solve the mystery. Based on the document, he tried listing hypothetical events in chronological order:

**1. Something big had happened - a catastrophe so unsettling that it had somehow motivated Giygas to do...whatever he was planning now.**

**2. The Shaman - his name was capitalized so he or she was obviously of some importance - had foretold the existence of a PK Love user in this city.**

**3. PSI was a generation-skipping power. So when Giygas knew that he, Ninten, could use PSI, it must have narrowed down his search to a specific generation.**

**4. As he waited for the Shaman's prediction to come true, Giygas stayed undercover as a high school Calculus teacher. The city was small enough to have only _one_ highschool, and education was mandatory. It would have given Giygas the perfect opportunity to keep an eye on a sizable population of teenage students without stirring suspicion.**

But everything didn't add up. Ninten knew he was still missing the main point...

_What makes PK Love users so special aside from their large PSI core? Heck, even a two-year-old from the the streets could probably pull a sewing needle stuck on the ground if they tried. Why the hell does he_ _want Lucas and Claus so badly for that? _

_And w__hat the fuck are the "Seven Needles"? Some radical 70's boy band?_

Ninten seemed to have more questions than answers. The Podunk teen resisted the urge to bash his head against the desk, glaring at the now-messy pile of papers.

_And if all he needed was someone with PK Love, why did he even bother kidnapping the other PSI users? Ana did mention that the glass dome absorbs PSI, so Giygas is milking all the PSI he could possibly get, but what's he doing with that massive store of energy? He can't possibly be giving it all to his Starmen. _

But there was one thing Ninten could absolutely, solidly and _undeniably_ conclude from this entire, confusing mess: His uncle was batshit crazy.

"Are you feeling okay, Ninten?" Lucas's voice cut through his stewing thoughts. "You look flushed."

That was when Ninten realized that his entire face was drenched in sweat. That uncomfortable warmth which he had flippantly attributed to the anxiety and adrenaline had surprisingly remained, and his body showed no signs of cooling down.

"You're right," Ninten said surprised, but he shrugged his concern off. "Eh. I think it's a little hot in here or something." He cocked an eyebrow at the blond. "Why? Did you find something important?"

"Not really." Lucas turned his attention back to the file cabinets. "Most of these are a bunch of order forms for Starmen parts. Did you?"

"Kind of." Ninten frowned. "Once we get out of this mess, I'll tell you later."

Ignoring Lucas's curious expression, Ninten quickly glued his eyes back onto the antique parchment for any facts he might have missed. After a few seconds, he snuck a quick side-glance, and to his relief, Lucas had gone back to flipping through paperwork. Stuffing the old parchment into his jacket, Ninten crawled under the desk, opening and closing sealed drawers. There seemed to be nothing important down here either...

_Having fun digging through my property, Ninten?_

Ninten instantly jerked his head up, almost slamming his head into the wooden desk. His blood tingled and turned to ice at the horribly familiar voice. ..._Giygas_.

_Correct._

Ninten's narrowed eyes flickered at the pallid walls as if he could see his uncle. _Show yourself._

_Ninten, Ninten, Ninten... _An amused tutting. _Did you honestly think I wouldn't have realized that my blueprint had gone missing? _

Horrible realization sank in, and Ninten froze in dismay. _You knew we were here all along._

_Yes, and no._ Giygas admitted in his head. _When you managed to escape from my clutches, I knew that you wouldn't have been able to resist checking out my research facility. So I waited. _There was a dangerous edge to his voice. _Kudos for hacking into my system. You almost fooled me...But __I'm afraid that your little "coup de main" will stop right now._

_Good luck with that, **Uncle**._

_...You're lucky that I'm rather fond of you, my dear **nephew**. _His tone hardened. _Give up__. You are fighting for a lost cause._

_Giygas, _Ninten spat. _I'm not falling for your ploy twice._

A pause. _This is no ploy, I assure you. Surrender and join me. I have no intention of harming you._

_I'm not surrendering,_ Ninten retorted. _If you promise to leave us alone, then we have a deal._

A heavy sigh of frustration. _Ninten, you will be wise to listen to what I have to say. Go home. Go home and pretend that none of this had ever happened._

_It's kind of hard to pretend that nothing's ever happened if you're keeping half of my friends hostage!_

_They're not my "hostages"; your friends are my helpful "guests." I have taken very good care of them during their stay. No one was harmed._ Icy eyes bored into his skull._ I was going to release them all in due time. They will be of no use for me, and I can care less if they live happily for the rest of their lives._

Ninten hesitated. Was Giygas telling the truth? Did he really plan to release all his hostages in the first place?

Giygas caught onto his hesitation and almost purred like a content mountain lion. _That's right, Ninten. I would never lie to you. __You know that __I'm a reasonable man__.__ I can return your friends safe and sound to their homes right now if you want. A__ll I have is one small request. It's not much, I assure you. _His sweet words dripped from his lips like pure honey._ I know that Lucas is in there with you right now...if you don't mind, I'd like to borrow him for a short while. If you explain your circumstances, he'll understand, I daresay._

_You liar. _Ninten spat, and Giygas fell silent._ Do you honestly think you can trick me to betray one of my closest friends? You nearly strangled him to death!_

_Everything was under control._

_My great grandmother would be turning in her grave if she saw you now, _Ninten said in disgust.

_Leave Maria out of this!_ Giygas snapped coldly, tone suddenly frosty._ You don't understand. I need him for my plans. Too much is at stake!_

_What exactly are you planning, Giygas? _Ninten demanded. _T__ell me!_

_Will you reconsider my offer? _

_Absolutely not! _

_Then we have nothing to talk about. I tried to warn you, and yet you foolishly refuse. _The cool voice sent shivers down Ninten's spine in dread. _D__on't __come crying back to me when you fall into one of my traps._

Confusion._ What trap?_

_I hope you enjoy TaneTane mushrooms._

The world unfroze and Ninten tumbled out of his mental conversation. He gasped as he lost his balance, and instinctively, he slapped his hands onto the desk.

_**Snip.**_

At the dreadful sound of cut string, Ninten's eyes slowly flickered to his left hand...which had accidentally landed on a cleverly-concealed trip wire.

_Oh no._

The alarm blared loudly. **"Intruders alert! Intruders alert!"**

"Lucas, we need to get out of here! NOW!"

Immediately there was a pneumatic hiss, and the vents dumped the room with a purple, sparkling powder.

Ninten, already pre-warned about the upcoming danger, had barely managed to avoid breathing in the deadly puff of spores. Behind him, Lucas had not been so lucky. The blonde had inhaled an entire cloud of toxic fumes, and he sneezed. Ninten hastily darted in and dragged him out before slamming the locked door shut.

"Oh geez! Are you all right?" Ninten asked, alarmed, as he pulled the blond upright.

Lucas nodded, blinking the powder from his eyes. He sneezed again. "My dose tiggles," he said in a muffled voice. "Bud I beel bine."

There was a succession of metallic thudding, and two Starmen turned the corner with tell-tale blazing red eyes. Neither of their enemies had PSI, but Ninten didn't give want to give them the benefit of doubt and instantly buffed up his stats.

"Offense Up! Defense up!" he chanted under his breath, and the ground beneath their feet briefly flashed twice to indicate his success.

"PK LOVE!"

"Defense up!" Ninten shouted again, boosting up their durability. Lucas gave him a quick grin of gratitude before blasting down the Starmen.

The Starmen stood no chance against them. Ninten felt his spirits soar. Whatever booby trap Giygas had set on them had failed; the two of them could easily handle trashing the metal robots with no problem.

As the second Starman clattered to the ground in a sizzling heap, Ninten threw his partner a cocky smirk. "We make a pretty good team!"

Lucas nodded vaguely. "Yeah..." His large pupils were strangely dilated, and his arms were jerking in irregular spasms like a marionette on a string.

Ninten frowned, but before he could ask, another onslaught of Starmen lunged for them. Ninten didn't have another chance to check on Lucas as more Starmen savagely attacked, convincing the Podunk teen to divert his attention to the enemy and crush their circuits with his frying pan.

Machine parts scattered, oil spurted, and blue hexagons flew. Left, right, dodge, swing. In mere moments, Ninten was caught in the fray of battle heat, clobbering metal this way and that.

But Ninten's worry increased tenfold. Sometimes, Lucas launched his PSI completely off-course, forcing Ninten to strike out at the Starmen before they could take advantage of the opening. In others, Lucas seemed to have a problem controlling his rebelliously-twitching limbs. Between the two of them, they could barely fend off their assailants.

Finally, Ninten smacked at what seemed like his thousandth Starman with his frying pan, and the weakened robot collapsed with a sizzle.

"Is it over yet?" Ninten gasped, wielding his metal pan among the smoldering wreckage. "Who's next?"

Broken electric wires sizzled and snapped weakly in response. Lowering his shoulders in relief, Ninten roughly wiped off the oily grease smeared on his face with an arm. "C'mon, Lucas. Let's get out of here."

No response.

"Lucas?" he asked slowly, turning around in high apprehension.

The said teen was kneeling over by the destroyed wreckage, an unsettling look of pure fear etched on his features. The blond muttered random phrases under his breath that made absolutely no sense to anyone but himself, then without warning, doubled over onto the floor, puking.

...What had Giygas said right before the alarm sounded?

_I hope you enjoy TaneTane mushrooms._

_Tanetane mushrooms._

_**Shrooms**._

"Shit," Ninten swore. Fear bubbled inside him, but he managed to stumble over and grasp Lucas's arm. "PK Healing!"

"Claus?" Lucas whispered, turning to him eagerly. His blue eyes were completely swamped by excited madness, and a wide, insane smile stretched across his face. "I can feel your heartbeat."

Had it been any other time, Ninten might have found this situation funny, albeit in an incredibly disturbing way; the Lucas he knew would probably be appalled at the words spewing out of his own mouth.

But Ninten's heart sank like a stone. His PSI had had no effect.

"Lucas? I know you're in there." The Podunk teen shook his arm more urgently. "Fight it, Lucas! Don't give in!"

Lucas gave no sign that he had heard him, and continued to sit there smiling stupidly. Ninten started to panic.

"Lucas! Please!" Ninten pleaded frantically, pulling at his limp elbow. Reinforcements were bound to come, and he couldn't fend them _all_ off with a good smack of a frying pan. "We need to go!"

Uncertain blue eyes flickered with confusion. "Ness?"

That was when everything went horribly wrong. A deadly burst of exhaust from a nearby machine part hit Ninten right in the face, and he coughed violently. Even worse, however, was the vague, tickling sensation in the back of his mouth as his throat closed up at an alarming rate. Ninten had enough experience to recognize what these ominous symptoms entailed.

_No! Not now! _he begged as he fumbled for his inhaler, but of all times, it slipped from his fingers onto the ground, the ground, the _ground...!_

His chest tightened as if someone was brutally squeezing the life out of him...

Ninten dropped to the ground in a pitiful attempt to search for it with desperate fingers, but his head felt so heavy, and man, he felt _so_ exhausted. His hands scrabbled at the tiles weaker and weaker, and his vision faded into a fuzzy haze of gray.

"L-Lucas," he managed to gasp out before his throat closed off entirely. "H-Help..."

And as the suffocating cloud of darkness stifled on his senses, Ninten couldn't help but curse his luck.

_Damn you, asthma._

* * *

><p>His limbs trembled erratically, and Lucas gritted his teeth, trying to focus on the Starmen. But whenever he tried to hit one, there were <em>three, <em>and Lucas wondered how his PSI seemed to pass through them harmlessly. Either these Starmen were ghosts, or his eyes were deceiving him.

Lucas blinked.

Thick, cracked paint slowly melted off the walls in grotesque, gaping tongues of pink. Blood burst from the distorted cracks in the tiled floor, washing over his shoes in a pungent river of crimson. The wavy ceiling curved in nauseatingly, flashing in bright, sickening colors before twisting into weird, distorted shapes. Up was down, left was right, and the room was spinning, spinning, spinning...

Lucas blinked again, and then the world righted itself.

Behind him, Ninten was furiously muttering spell after spell under his breath as he slammed another robot aside with a resounding _clang. _Sensing something heavy charging towards him, Lucas ducked, narrowly avoiding a Starman's crushing momentum. He easily picked it off with another PK Love, and blue hexagons shredded it into a steaming, smoky mess.

Lucas braced himself as another Starman raced towards him in hot pursuit, arms prepared to strike-

But then, it wasn't a Starman, but Flint.

Drunk Flint. Sad Flint.

Flint the farmer. Flint, his father.

"Dad?" he whispered.

Lowering his bottle of wine, his father studied him with deliberate slowness. Harrowed, haunting shadows lurked in his tortured brown eyes, and then the man suddenly spoke. "I'm gonna beat you. Daddy's gonna to beat you, boy."

Lucas took a shaky step back. "N-No. Dad, please-"

Cold emptiness welled in his orbs, expanding over the man's dark pupils, and Flint smiled humorlessly. "Lucas is a coward. Lucas is a nasty child. Nasty children ought to be punished." He raised his weather-beaten fist. "Take it like a man," he ordered. "It won't hurt. It won't hurt at all..."

Horrified, Lucas immediately pedaled backwards, screwing his eyes shut. When he reopened them, his father was gone. Taking a shaky breath, Lucas nearly screamed out loud when Claus materialized behind him without warning.

"Lucas!" Claus cackled, dancing in a wild, savage glee. His head was oddly lopsided and bloody, and his chest was marred with a humongous, gaping stab wound. "Lucas! It's me! Claus! It's me, it's me, it's me..."

Lucas shuddered as Claus's eerie grin widened, and his next PK Love flinched horribly off-course. Awful, sticky blood poured out of Claus's stab wound, and the dark liquid trickled down his brother's legs and pooled at his feet in a puddle of vibrant red. Clumps of rotting flesh hung loose from white, bony ribs like horrifying curtains of dead skin, and Lucas resisted the urge to gag on the putrid, suffocating smell.

"You liar," Claus whispered viciously. His chest wound pulsed and bulged grotesquely. White, dripping innards festered like rotting noodles. "I died. You knew I was going to die, but you never bothered to tell me, did you?"

"I-I didn't mean to," Lucas stammered, taking a step back. "I thought it was just a dream!"

Claus laughed. "Is this a dream too, Lucas?" He plunged his hand into his gaping chest with a sickening squelch, and then to Lucas's horror, yanked out his heart. It dangled limply in front of his face, and the bulging organ continued to spurt crimson fluid through torn arteries. Blood spattered his brother's ghostly-pale cheeks and trickled down his chin. "Is _this_ just a dream to you?"

"I'm sorry," Lucas said quietly, and his eyes burned with tears. Claus only stared back at him pityingly.

"Look at yourself, Lucas," Claus said in mock-sympathy. "You used to kneel in front of mom's gravestone and do nothing but cry. You really are a useless crybaby, aren't you?" His venomous voice dripped with pure disgust. "Pathetic. Now you know why I left you in the first place."

"Please, don't go!" Lucas begged. Guilt ached through his chest, constricting his lungs painfully. "It's all my fault, I'm sorry!"

Claus laughed. "Oh, silly Lucas. Silly, silly, Lucas! I'm dead. I'm alive." The ginger suddenly seized Lucas's trembling palm, then curled his fingers around his gruesome present. "Lucas! Touch my heart. See how it beats in and out?"

The wet heart squelched in his grasp. He should've been disgusted, but all Lucas felt was relief. He could feel the heart thump irregularly against his palm. Loud and steady.

Claus was here. Claus was safe. That was all that mattered.

"Claus," Lucas breathed. He choked, and his moist eyes swam with relief. "I can feel your heartbeat."

Claus's form flickered in front of him before twisting and reappearing at his shoulder. Claus clapped a heavy hand on Lucas's startled head and violently wrenched it back. Lucas could feel the freezing, bony fingers tickle the nape of his neck. "I'm braver than you. Stronger even. I'm the useful twin, and without me, you're _nothing_, Lucas." Claus's uncomfortably hot breath hissed tantalizing truths into his ear. "Let's switch places. Let's switch places, Lucas."

A small, yet strangely familiar voice nagged at his mind. _"Fight it, Lucas! Don't give in!"_

Fight? Fight against what? Claus? Claus was harmless. Yes, Claus was harmless. Lucas didn't want to fight him.

"Shhh..." Claus whispered. Grabbing him by the elbow, Claus forcefully yanked him into an uncomfortably tight embrace. Cold blood seeped through the front of his shirt. Lucas shivered as Claus rigidly raked his frozen, blood-crusted fingernails through his hair, causing goosebumps to erupt on bare, exposed skin. "Don't worry, Lucas. I'm right here." Claus's voice distorted into an awful groan. "And I'm not leaving anytime _sooooooooooon_."

_"Lucas! Please! We need to go!"_

...That voice sounded awfully scared...

A fuzzy outline of a person blurred into light. Black hair. Red bandanna. Striped shirt.

Lucas blinked. "Ness?"

"L-Lucas...H-Help..."

Lucas knew this person. He jolted to his feet, pushing his brother off. "Ninten!"

The floor jerked from underneath him, and Lucas fell. He was falling, falling deep down this endless pit of misery and screams and crying...

His eyes snapped open. Cold, hard tiles met his vision, and he sat up in alarm. Ninten was hunched over on all fours, fingers feebly twitching around for his inhaler that was knocked right out of reach. Shaking off his daze, Lucas immediately seized it and stuffed it into his friend's mouth, praying that he had not been too late.

"Come on, Ninten! Breathe!" Lucas gasped. "PK Healing!"

_Liar._

_Coward._

_What a nasty little boy you are, Lucas._

For several agonizing seconds, there was no response. Then Ninten coughed and sputtered like a run-down engine. His chest began to rise and fall.

**Ba-dump. ****Ba-dump. ****Ba-dump.**

A steady heartbeat.

Lucas sighed shakily and sank into the floor in relief.

With Ninten clocked out, their odds were against them. Already, pink was starting to distort his mind, and Lucas doubted he'd be lucky enough to break free from his hallucinations again. Cold fear started to creep in from his toes, and he choked on growing hysteria-

_The boy named Lucas is bullying animals._

_The boy named Lucas learned some bad magic._

_The boy named Lucas is crying at a grave._

His insecurities bubbled and frothed like an excited brew of madness, and Lucas squeezed his eyes shut. He couldn't break down now, not when Ninten was relying on him, not when Ness and Claus might possibly be in danger. Without pause, he awkwardly slung his unconscious friend over his shoulder.

_I can't give up. I won't give up._

**Ba-dump. Ba-dump.**

Weird colors were already starting to claw themselves into his vision, and in the corner of his eye, he spotted Claus lurking hungrily in the shadows, regarding his every move with an unnerving, predatory gaze.

Waiting. Watching. Whispering.

**Ba-dump. **

"Everyone's waiting for you," Claus chimed cheerfully. "Everyone's waiting to throw rocks at you, spit in your eyes, and make your life hell. Who's everyone?"

Lucas slowly met his eye, and Claus's grin widened.

"Everyone you love."

* * *

><p>To their growing dismay, the hallway in front of Giygas's study was completely devoid of any life.<p>

"Dammit! Where are they?" a bare-footed Ness shouted, frantically scanning the burning wreckage of Starmen. "They must have been here a second ago!"

Claus desperately dug through the pile of rubble. "Lucas? Ninten?" A strange formation of machine oil caught his eye, and Claus nearly tripped over the machine parts in his haste.

A greasy shoeprint.

Several, to be more precise.

Claus's blood ran cold.

"This way!" The ginger shouted, and the two of them followed the trail of oil-clad shoeprints. Their wet feet slapped loudly against the hard, cold tiles, echoing noisily down the corridor. _Squelch. Squish. Squelch._

However, the trail of teen-sized shoeprints was far from reassuring; it was clearly an ominous work of insanity. Uncertain feet had sometimes shuffled forward a few steps before colliding straight into a door or wall. In other cases, the confused feet walked around in endless circles before managing to revert back to its original course. The imprints were also heavily bolded, which indicated that their owner was most likely carrying something...or someone.

Ness didn't like the sound of that idea. All of these shoeprints belonged to the same person. Either Lucas or Ninten had been knocked out or gravely injured, leaving the other to fend alone for themselves. And if the odd pattern of footprints was anything to judge by, whoever was conscious was probably not in his right state of mind either.

The alarm shrilly continued to wail loudly, and Starmen after Starmen began to flood the corridors, smudging up the footprints. Claus screamed in frustration.

"PK Thunder!"

A bolt of jagged lightning ripped through the air, and his unlucky opponents contorted in a jittery dance of electricity before being zapped to crisp. Claus wasn't sure if any of the Starmen could use PSI, but he sure as hell wasn't going to give them the benefit of doubt.

Not after what had happened last time.

Angrily, Claus recklessly blasted Starman after Starman out of the way with little caution. It was a mighty sight to behold; the dangerous ginger looked absolutely furious beyond his wits, violently exploding every unfortunate hunk of metal that dared to stop him in his quest to find his brother.

Another Starman had the gall to step in his path, and Claus violently slashed his sparking arm to cast a spell-

But Ness had already clobbered it aside with his bat.

"That was my opponent," Claus snarled dangerously.

"Save your PSI," Ness said curtly.

Claus ignored him and rigidly blasted another Starman to bits.

"Claus!"

"Stop telling me what to do!" the ginger snapped.

"Listen to me, you stubborn idiot!" Ness broke out angrily. "_Save your PSI!_"

"Idiot? Who are you calling an idiot?!" Claus snarled. "Have you lost your marbles? This is the quickest way we can find them, you jackass!"

"Can you quit being such an asshole and listen to me for once?!" Ness screamed, and Claus froze. The baseball captain clenched his fists tightly. "What if they need our help? What if Lucas is injured? How are you gonna fucking heal your brother if you run out of fucking PSI, goddamnit?!"

Claus stiffened.

Ness was right.

...But that didn't mean he had to like it.

The ginger narrowed his icy blue eyes venomously. Claus was loathe to admit that he had been wrong to _Ness_ of all people, especially since the topic of their debate was over Lucas's welfare. It was already a touchy subject between them to begin with, but now, the frightening mix of frustration, despair, and helplessness ultimately toppled Claus over the edge.

Claus snapped. The grudge he had been simmering against Ness for the past three years had finally boiled over the pot.

"Of course, _you_ would know what's best for Lucas," Claus said bitterly. "You've literally been best friends with him since sixth grade, and I'm just, what, his twin brother?"

"Look, I'm only trying to save everyone from this goddamn facility," Ness snapped. "What's your problem?"

"My problem?" Claus laughed mockingly. "Oh, I don't have a problem at all, Ness. Keep lecturing me on how I should treat my younger brother, because _you_ obviously know him better than I do."

"I never said that!" Ness exploded in frustration, batting aside another Starman. They ducked into the control room, taking brief refuge from the fight. "I care about him _because he's my_ _friend_!"

"Do you, Ness?" Claus sneered viciously. He could almost hear Lucas pleading for him to stop in the corner of his mind, but Claus was far too gone. The momentum of his speech propelled him forward, and Claus couldn't stop the despicable, poisonous words that hissed between his teeth. "Answer me, then! If you care about Lucas so much because he's your _friend_, then whose fucking fault is it that he's stuck out here in the first place?"

"Look, I'm sorry, okay? I didn't know that _this_ was going to happen!" Ness spat angrily, gesturing furiously with his arms. "Do you honestly think I'd do this on purpose?"

"Then you shouldn't have agreed in the first place!" Claus bellowed, swiping a hand through the air. "If you'd sided with me when Lucas volunteered to help Ninten, then none of this would've ever happened!"

"We don't even know if something's gone wrong yet!" Ness yelled back indignantly. "Everyone might be oka-"

"Shut the hell up, Ness!" Claus screamed hoarsely. "Admit it! All you and your crazy plans have ever done is get everyone hurt!" Claus's voice sounded shaky, and a lump of emotion lodged in his throat. "After my mom died, I promised, Ness. I swore to myself that I'd never let Lucas get hurt again, and now, because of you, my brother could be _bleeding_ to death in some _stupid_ hellhole while we're stuck out here like _sitting ducks_! So stop saying that everything's going to be okay, because it's NOT okay! Nothing's okay right now, OKAY?! Is that fucking _OKAY_ with you, Ness?!"

Claus's words seemed to have hit a major nerve.

Ness froze. All the color rapidly fled from his ashen face.

Glaring, Claus heaved violently from the sudden outburst of emotion. He waited for Ness to respond, to yell, to shout back, to do _something _other than just stand there goddamnit-

But Ness didn't argue back.

All the fight seemed to drain out of him, and Ness's shoulders sagged in defeat. "Fine," he said so quietly in a voice that was barely even audible. His dead, empty eyes looked horribly hollow. "Everything's _not _okay. Are you happy now, Claus? Does that make you feel better?"

His taciturn response stunned Claus. He had been expecting Ness to explode back, and now that Ness wasn't giving him a fight, Claus's conscience had finally caught up to him. The ginger knew that he had gone too far. Awful guilt flooded through his hot heart, clawing painfully at his insides.

_Oh geez. _

_What have I done...?_

Claus swallowed hard, completely lost for words. What was he supposed to say now? That he was sorry for being a dick? That he didn't mean to curse him out two seconds ago?

"Look, Ness, I...I-"

All speech had suddenly died from Claus's throat, leaving only stunned silence in its wake. Claus had no idea what he had been about to say, and Ness would never find out.

Because a wide-eyed Lucas had chosen that golden opportunity to stumble in with an unconscious Ninten on his back, sprint past the surprised duo, and smack himself face-first against the wall.


	17. Chapter 17

**Author's Note:**

**Heya guys!**

**A heads up: **

**(1) Claus could use PK Thunder, and I gave Ness PK Fire, so I wanted to give Lucas PK Freeze. I know it's not actually in his moveset (except in Brawl), but - shhh - it's for the plot!**

**(2) When I confirm that a character/event's going to occur, he/she/it will. Sometimes, I just find a more fitting end to a chapter and scenes get cut off, but they should re-appear in future chapters. **

**And hooray for a generic cover pic of a teardrop because I was too lazy to draw something. :x Oh well. It could be much worse. Do people even look at these things, I mean heck, I could probably upload a pic of a lettuce leaf wearing sunglasses and nobody would care. Then I'd change this fic name to "For the Power of Lettuce" and everyone would think I'****ve completely lost it. Heh.**

**Now I will go read something stupidly happy to clear my mind of angst for the next 24 hours. Party on.**

**Answering your reviews! :D**

**DarkFoxKit: Now that you mention it, I guess Giygas is a creepy stalker. Who knows? DX And yeah, Ness's backstory does sound a lot more traumatizing than it actually is. :x Oops. And high five - I love Tanetane mushrooms too. ;) YAS we'll finally get to that flash forward this chapter! *cheers***

**ConnorTheSpelingPro: Oh no! I don't wanna be reported for manipulating feelings! D: *Hands you a tissue* We're not even done with the story yet ack! And haha thanks; you flatter me. :) I'm no pro, but hey, writing is cathartic, right? xD And haha everything will be _okay...probably._ *Checks over chapters* Or not. Who knows? Giygas does seem a little bitter, and as to if we'll investigate the reasons behind that...we'll see :) And lol, I think you're the only person to mention Giygas at all! Everyone was more or less preoccupied by the Ness/Claus spat, the TaneTane mushroom samba, or Lucas running into a wall. xD Too much happened haha**

**JustMeHi: Thanks for the compliment. :) Ness's backstory took me a few tweaks to make it sound right (because _English_), and that TaneTane trip was especially fun to write about. And ahh, I can relate. *Hands you a tissue* My parents aren't divorced, but the phrases I used for Ness's parents last chapter were similar sentences I remember from my childhood. But everything's gonna be _okay_. :)**

**Guest: Haha don't worry, I've got plenty in store! And yes, Lucas, stop running into walls; it's bad for your health. DX**

**Angel-Woof: You can predict my uploading dates? *Le gasp* You're a wizard, Harry. ;D Once again, thanks. :) Delivering emotions was my goal, so I guess I did it right this time. OKEI! *Pumps fist into the air* And hooray for Mother released on VC! *Dances with you* And ahh, yes. Claus and Ness will probably get over their differences...maybe. Glad to know you liked the TaneTane mushroom samba - I loved writing that part. ;D And I agree. High Lucas can be funny Lucas. XD And yeah, Ness has been through a lot, huh? *Hands you a tissue* Gods you readers are making me run out of tissues and I'm on a budget DX **

**PKLoveGamma: Yeah haha! Unexpected humor is always great after a bucket of feels. :D **

**ImaGuest: Yep...Lucas, no. Stop running into walls. DX**

**NintenGirl9x: Ahh thank you. :) Ninten really has the worst luck, doesn't he? :x My brother has asthma too, so I can relate. Poor kid. And as for if everyone escapes safely...we'll see. ;)**

**Guest: Intentional irony both times, I assure you. ;) I play brawl too, and Ness's _Okay _taunt is so funny; I had to add it into the story somehow. And he sounds like a boy on flu. xD And yeah, I was tempted to make everyone hallucinate, but it wouldn't have worked because...plot. If it makes you feel better, I was _THIS_ close to making Ninten hallucinate as well.**

**Readergirl27: Yep. Very intense chapter ftw. ;D And everyone got home safely...probably. It's funny how you're the ONLY person to mention how long TaneTane mushrooms last, because eh, I don't know. *Shrugs shoulders* XD We'll see.**

**OKEY: Haha thanks for the warm praise. :) I tried to combine everything as best as I can, because to be honest...*Shifts eyes guiltily and lowers voice* ...I've never played any of the Mother games before. Only brawl. *Sobs in shame* But it's OKEY. ;) I'll do my best with consulting the Earthbound Wikis. **

**Silvereyer: And what do you know? I updated. xD Thank you for your kind words. :) And hey, its okay, I liked writing the Ness/Claus fighting scene. At least reading is passive! xD Yeah, I'm glad you think the angst wasn't over the top. Of all the genres, I seem to be best adapted at Angst and Hurt/Comfort, so I'm trying to maintain a balance. It might be obvious, but I'm trying to work on action scenes. :x idk. I find constant fighting to be a little tiresome. But I guess the pain is still the same, whether it's "Ouch, my feels" or "Ouch, your fist is in my face." xD**

**[Insert Appropriate Disclaimer Here]**

* * *

><p><strong><span>Setting<span>: _Past_.**

_**Beep...Beep...Beep...**_

"Code blue, I repeat, code blue-"

"Patient is suffering from severe head trauma and cardiopulmonary arrest-"

"Charge up the defibrillator!"

_**Beep...Beep...**_

"The patient isn't responding!"

"Resume CPR!"

_**B**_

_**e**_

_**e**_

_**p**_

_._

_._

_._

_._

_._

_._

...She's gone.

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I'm sorry for your loss.

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The funeral was a simple, quiet affair. A handful of mourners stopped by, flooding the grave with flowers and pity. There was much regret and sorrow for the woman who would be sorely missed.

Pain of loss drove Claus into bitter grief. Everywhere around him, well-wishers murmured their condolences.

"She was such a wonderful, sweet person..."

"You poor, poor children..."

"I'm sorry for your loss."

**I'm sorry.**

Claus hated that word. It rang too uncomfortably in his ears. It was too flippant, too shallow, too empty. _I'm sorry_ did scarce to express the unimaginable expanse of agony ripping his heart to shreds. _I'm sorry _wasn't going to bring his mother back.

**I'm sorry for your loss.**

_No, you're not! _Claus wanted to scream. _You didn't know her! You didn't see her get run over in front of your eyes! You're not sorry at all!_

Claus stood shakily on weak knees, stubbornly in denial. Mom wasn't dead. These people were stupid. They didn't know what they were talking about. Any second now, Hinawa was going to pop up, laughing that she had accidentally lost track of time in the sunflower field and had forgotten to head home.

...Right?

But heavy realization sunk in as Claus slowly watched his younger brother shakily extend his fingers. Emitting a sudden wail of distress, Lucas desperately hurled himself onto the gravestone. Tiny fingers clawed deep patterns into the dirt as if they could touch his dead mother through the deep, unforgiving layers of soil.

A high-pitched keening of pure anguish ripped out their hearts.

Lucas had started to cry.

"Mom..._mom_..."

The troubled mourners converged uneasily around his brother, muttering and whispering soothing, worthless condolences.

**I'm sorry for your loss.**

Claus couldn't stand it any longer. He bolted home, leaving his brother to mourn alone.

Days passed. Things changed, but everything stayed the same. His father drank. Lucas cried. His father drank more. Lucas cried more. It was a bizarre, almost-sacred ritual that went unbroken. On and on, it continued. Now Flint was a cold and distant stranger. Lucas had all but dissolved into an inconsolable mess.

Claus didn't understand. Lucas was wrong. Mom wasn't dead. Lucas was a liar.

One month. That was how long Claus lasted before he caved into his frustrated helplessness. Finally, he couldn't stand it anymore. Claus couldn't _sit here_ doing nothing but watch his family crumble into ruins. Furious grief boiled and bubbled in his hot heart.

That drunk driver had caused this. Claus wanted to find that drunk driver. He wanted to make him pay for all the pain and suffering he had caused.

Claus's breath hitched in his throat. A sudden stroke of daring inspiration had struck him, and a plot of terrible proportions began to brew in his young, third-grade mind. Soon, blinding desperation consumed all reason.

Maybe...if he did this _just_ _right_...everything might turn back to normal. Dad would stop drinking, and Lucas would be happy again. Icy blue eyes hardened, and Claus held back his own tears. Grim determination fueled his final resolution.

He wasn't going to cry. Not yet.

No crying until the end.

* * *

><p><strong><span>Setting<span>: Present**

Ness and Claus jumped back in shock. Immediately, all anger vanished, only to be replaced with panic at the sprawled pair of figures on the ground.

"Lucas?" Claus exhaled in relief, sprinting over to help his brother up. "Thank gods, you're alrig-"

A harsh crackle.

There was stunned silence. Lucas had brandished a sparking finger directly at them.

"Lucas, what are you doing?" Ness asked in bewilderment, eyeing the finger warily.

The blonde shrank back at his voice. "S-Stay back," Lucas breathed shakily. His dilated pupils were clouded in wild, disheveled fear. "I'm warning you. I-I...I won't hesitate to attack!"

Claus rolled his eyes and stepped forward. "Lucas, it's only us-"

"PK FREEZE!"

Claus flinched and ducked. The distorted, erratically-pulsing snowflake sailed over his head and smashed against the metal wall with an ear-shattering explosion of ice.

"What's gotten into you, Lucas?!" Claus demanded in growing fear. "This isn't funny!"

He prodded his brother's mind, but almost immediately retracted his tendril of thought. Psychedelic colors scalded his mental probe, and distorted, nightmarish illusions flooded his senses in that brief moment of contact. Claus couldn't find his brother in the sea of agony and confusion.

Lucas flinched violently at his mental contact. Behind him, Ninten still stayed slumped on the floor, unmoving. Ness was getting worried; for all they knew, Ninten could be also in critical condition, and while they had knocked out many Starmen, more troops were bound to charge into the room at any second.

"Lucas...," Ness trailed off worriedly. "What happened to you?"

Lucas didn't appear to have heard him, and instead, turned to address the wall. "Claus?" he whispered in a small, cracked voice. "...Where are you going?"

Claus's heart stopped. He knew those words.

_Claus, where are you going?_

_No! Stay! I-I promise I won't cry again!_

_Please, Claus, don't leave, I'll...I'll do anything, please please please don't go I'm begging you__-_

Choking, Lucas suddenly clutched his head. "No..." Scrunching his eyes shut, the blond clapped his hands over his ears and shuddering violently, sank into the floor. "No. No more!" Lucas yelled loudly, making both boys flinch. His blue eyes flashed open, glazed with hurt and hopelessness. "Stop! Make the voices s-s-stop..."

Claus swallowed hard. He wasn't very good at handling emotions, and whenever something "touchy-feely" came up, Lucas tended to sort it out on his own. But now, he had no choice; his younger brother needed him. Claus couldn't run away from his feelings this time.

"Lucas...calm down," he coaxed, using a different approach. Lucas froze, tensing to bolt at the slightest sign of danger, and Claus lowered his voice. "Easy now..."

Recognition sparked in Lucas's dull eyes. "...Claus?" he called out timidly like a frightened child.

"That's right," Claus said encouragingly, careful eyes never leaving his brother's tense, quivering form. "Keep it up, you're doing a good job..."

"I can't...I can't see you..."

Claus's hands were shaking madly, but he managed to repress the tremor in his throat. "I promise I'm right here, and I'm not leaving anytime soon..."

Realization slowly dawned in those blue eyes, and Lucas hesitated. Breathing out a sigh of relief, Claus relaxed...

Without warning, Claus suddenly found himself gasping for breath as he was flattened against the floor, hit square in the chest by a PK Freeze. "Lucas," he wheezed. "What-"

"Y-You're not Claus," Lucas whispered shakily from above him. A combination of sharp keening, harsh sob-like laughs, and frantic jumble of consonants now spewed out of his mouth, rendering the once-reasonable boy's speech into an incomprehensible, gurgling mess of distorted words. Agitated PSI sparked around his hands. "You're not Claus!"

"Lucas! Snap out of it!" Claus yelled desperately, struggling to extricate himself from the ice.

Lucas shuddered once, but didn't lower his hands. "You're not my brother...You're not real...n-not real," he choked, tears dripping from his eyes. Cold energy coated his fingers, freezing crystals of moisture from the air. "PK-"

"PK Hypnosis," Ness cut in, glowing violet eyes roiling with power. The blonde could only stare at him dumbly, completely entranced by his orbs, before his mind was forcefully shut down. Lucas collapsed, keeling over onto the ground in an ungraceful _thump_.

Immediately, the baseball captain was dragged face-to-face with a snarling ginger.

"What the hell was that for?!" Claus spat furiously, yanking Ness up by the shirt. Sparkling shards of ice still decorated his fiery hair, and wide blue irises blazed in pained desperation.

"Let go, Claus," Ness's eyes flashed dangerously. "I only put him to sleep. Just because you're a heartless jerk doesn't mean that I am."

Ouch. That comment stung.

Reluctantly, Claus let go, and Ness roughly pried himself out of his grip.

Their eyes flew over to a certain teen who had yet to respond. Ninten's continued disquiet was starting to get rather unnerving. Dragging him over, Ness did a quick mental scan for injuries.

Tense silence.

Then Ness exhaled a shaky sigh of relief. "...He's okay. Just unconscious."

Claus relaxed slightly at the verdict. He hoisted his brother's limp form onto his back. Lucas's soft body pressed against his, and Claus could feel his ragged breath tickle his ears with hot air. Some stray tears found their way onto the back of Claus's shirt, and the ginger felt the warm, wet dots through the cloth.

"Claus..." Lucas mumbled uneasily in his sleep.

Ness couldn't help but throw another look of worry in their direction, but it only served to irritate Claus even further.

"Can you stop doing that?" Claus snapped half-heartedly, trying to cover up his moment of weakness, and then the bad feelings were back, the terrible memories flooding in, the hurt, the pain, _the awful guilt__-_

Ness narrowed his eyes, trying to resist the tempting urge to sock the ginger in the face with his aching knuckles. But as he adjusted his hold on Ninten, his mind seemed a million miles away.

"Hold onto my arm," Ness muttered, even though the expression of extreme loathing on his face clearly stated that Claus's touch was the last thing he wanted right now.

Claus hesitated. With almost equal reluctance, he reached out with a free hand and grasped Ness's tense arm.

Responsibility weighed heavily on his shoulders - this all depended on him now. Ness could sense his last strains of PSI flicker weakly in his mind. He had to use up his energy wisely, otherwise, they were all majorly screwed. Suddenly, his entire body burst into sparks, and Ness sprinted out into the long, flat hallway, hoping that he could evade the Starmen's attacks with his speed.

"PK Tele-uungh!"

Ness stumbled slightly, but before Claus could understand what had happened, they were instantly consumed by a flash of white.

* * *

><p>Another flash of light, then a yelp as Claus felt his body fly forward and plow into the dirt from momentum. Spitting out grass, he bolted upright. To his relief, Ninten was lying face-down on the hill next to him, and Lucas was not much farther away.<p>

"Ngghhh..."

Claus faced a pasty-faced Ness with a raised eyebrow. "What's the matter with you?"

Ness managed to sit upright, then bit back a hiss of pain. He swung his shaky, left leg in front of him. A glaring burn painfully stretched down his calves, and Ness cursed. "Fuck."

"What happened?"

"A Starman must have managed to intercept me," Ness muttered darkly, hobbling to his feet.

Claus swore, then looked down the mountain range. To his horror, he could not only spot the smoking research facility, but he also caught sight of the silver swarm of Starmen spewing out like agitated bees. "Holy shi-"

Adrenaline coursed through his veins, and Ness bolted with Ninten on his back. "RUN!"

The surrounding foliage scratched at their faces and arms, clawing and tearing at their clothes. Leaves poked at their eyes painfully, blinding them effectively from the scenery in front of them. Claus could barely see anything a meter ahead, much less ten centimeters away from his face.

"Where are we going?" Claus yelled.

"I don't know! Anywhere! Somewhere as far as possible from here!" Ness bellowed back in desperation. Another clearing loomed ahead, and Ness suddenly charged forward, making a split-second decision. "This way!"

Wrong choice.

"CLIFF!"

They screeched to a sudden halt, and Claus stumbled over a few steps. Their disturbance had caused several branches to tumble down the deep gorge. There was no way they could run in this terrain.

They were trapped.

_No! It can't end like this! _Ness thought frantically, racking his brains for any idea, any way out of this situation. The gaping chasm only glared back at him in response.

Vaguely, he registered Lucas stirring, but Claus must not have had much luck getting through to him. He stole a glance at the ginger.

Claus looked disheveled. Despair was sinking in his eyes, and when Ness threw him a questioning look, Claus shook his head.

"He's not answering me," Claus said hoarsely in response, jerking his head to his mentally-incapacitated brother.

Lucas spoke for himself. "I'm a chicken!"

_Yep. Lucas was definitely out of commission._

"I'm out of PSI," Ness said helplessly. "And I used the the last of Ninten's PSI to get us here."

Claus shifted uneasily. "I still have some left, but my tank's pretty low."

_Shit. _Ness stared at the gorge, then back at Claus. _There had to be a way out of this..._

"Your PK Teleport," Claus said suddenly. "You said that you can only teleport in a straight line, right?"

"Yeah," Ness said in frustration, closing his eyes. "I need to break at least 80 miles per hour before my PSI can kick in and do the rest." He laughed darkly, pointing at his limp. "But there's no way I can run with _this, _and we have nowhere else to go."

"Take it."

Ness looked confused. "Huh?"

Claus looked at him seriously with icy eyes. "Take the rest of my PSI."

"Didn't you hear what I said?" Ness said, sounding annoyed. "We don't have anywhere else to go!"

"We can jump off the cliff."

Ness's eyes widened, and he actually took a step back. "Heck, no!"

"Freefall physics." Claus studied the lush gorge beneath them, and mentally calculated the distance. "80 miles per hour is roughly around 35 meters per second. Gravity will pull us down at 9.8 meters per second squared. If I'm right, we should at least break 50 meters per second before we splatter on impact. Theoretically speaking."

"I make crazy ideas," Ness said weakly. "But this is plain suicidal!"

Claus slowly met his eyes. "_You _make the crazy ideas," he drawled, dripping with irritation. "But I actually know what I'm doing. This height is definitely sufficient enough to reach that velocity. Now the question is, are _you_ up for it?" He stared into the gorge. "It's your choice."

Ness hesitated. Then again, to be fair, Claus had just suggested that jumping off a godforsaken cliff was a practically reasonable idea.

_Since when had cliff-diving ever been reasonable to begin with?! _

Ness sighed in frustration, then pinched the bridge of his nose. Difficult as it is, he only had two simple choices: probable capture, or possible suicide.

Ness chose the obvious option.

"Let's do it," Ness said in determination. His lips suddenly felt rather dry.

Claus nodded curtly, and Ness tentatively closed his eyes to concentrate.

Everyone's mental landscape was unique to that particular person. It was built on memories, yet was never permanent, preferring to grow and shift with changing flaws and developing personalities.

When Ness opened his eyes, he was immediately struck by how _cold _Claus's mind felt. The entire mental landscape was swathed in gray and black. Secrets rattled energetically behind every nook and cranny, desperate to be unlocked, and Ness could feel unseen eyes everywhere, watching his every move with a brooding suspicion. The landscape itself didn't seem to appreciate his presence, and almost seemed to repel his feet from the ground.

The air felt highly electrified. Ness knew that if he made one false step, Claus wouldn't tolerate it.

Ness shuddered. Feeling a hum of energy, Ness let it direct him to the PSI core.

As he did so, something caught his attention. In contrast to the bitter darkness, one house in the distance was lit aglow. As he passed by it, Ness could hear happy laughter ring across the closed curtains. Curiosity peaked his interest, but he knew better than to investigate.

Ness halted in front of the humming energy core. For someone so surprisingly cold, Claus's PSI felt unexpectedly warm. Ness placed a hand on it, willing the energy to flow into his mind, and closed his eyes...

Violet eyes snapped open. Claus was still regarding him with that same, suspicious stare. "Well?"

Ness flexed his fingers, feeling the warm PSI wash over his heart, and stared down at the crevice. "...On the count of three?"

Claus slowly met his look with an unusually calm steadiness.

"On the count of three."

_One_.

The swarm of Starmen angrily whirred closer-

_Two._

The buzz was almost deafening-

_Three._

They jumped.

* * *

><p>Falling.<p>

They were _falling_.

Fearful faces contrasted against pale sky-

Orange tumbled into black and clashed with yellow-

The wind was screaming into their ears, tearing away their gasping breath, violently buffeting their faces with its deafening howls-

Beneath them, the dark abyss sleepily opened its yawning mouth, ready to swallow up its next morsels and shroud them in eternal darkness-

Ness closed his eyes.

A flash of light-

Then nothing.

* * *

><p>Something cold touched his face.<p>

Claus shivered. Groggily, he cracked open his heavy eyelids.

It was snowing. Tiny snowflakes gently fluttered from the sky like butterfly wings. In an act of childish temptation, Claus stuck out his tongue and felt one melt in his mouth.

A crunch of ice, then an exhausted Ness reappeared in his vision. "We need to create more distance." His knees suddenly buckled from his injury, and Ness toppled over to the ground. "Urgh..."

Claus had already put out a free hand to pull him up, and Ness swatted it aside.

"Don't touch me," Ness snapped, staggering under Ninten's weight. Now that they were out of danger, the heavy tension from their big blow-out was starting to seep back into the air.

Claus rolled his eyes. "That burn's gonna slow you down, and we're out of PSI."

"I don't need your help!" Ness shot back, nursing his tender injury with a sour look.

Claus snorted. "Good luck, then." The ginger threw him an irritated look. "If you want to suffer for the next few hours of your life, then be my guest."

Ness threw him a particularly venomous glare, then stubbornly limped off.

Claus made an exasperated noise like a cow giving birth. "Why do you have to be so difficult?"

"Why do you even care?!" Ness growled, hackles raised. "According to _you_, I'm a selfish jackass who cares for no one. Fuck off."

"Fine!" Claus snarled, clenching his fists. "Be a smartass if you want! Like I give a shit!"

That was the last straw, and Ness finally lost it.

Letting loose an animalistic howl of fury, he lunged forward and dive-tackled Claus into the snow. Ice shards flew into the air like confetti as they furiously brawled it out on the frozen mountainside. Snarling, Claus kicked him viciously in the ribs, making him gasp, then doubled over as Ness punched him square in the jaw. Loudly swearing out violent obscenities at the top of his lungs, Claus twisted around in an attempt to buck him off, but Ness had swept his legs under his feet, and Claus collided into the icy ground painfully on his rear. Gripping his aching jaw, Claus bellowed in savage rage, then violently charged forward to sock him in the gut, and Ness bared his teeth, ready to intercept him-

"You're hairy, Claus."

Both of them froze in stunned silence. They turned around.

A giggling Lucas was hugging a _very _confused Ten-Yeti around its waist. The blond inhaled deeply into its soft, downy fur. "Ew. You smell like fish."

As if in sync, Ness and Claus immediately lunged forward and took an arm, dragging Lucas away. The poor Ten-Yeti now blinked and scratched its aching head, probably wondering what the heck had just happened.

When both of them realized what the other had done, their scowls deepened.

"Fuck off, Ness."

"I didn't do it for _you_, you dumbass," Ness snapped, yanking back Lucas's arm like a tug-of-war rope.

Lucas lolled his head around pathetically. "It hurts, Ness," he slurred, then promptly fell face-first into a mound of snow.

Both of them briefly paused their feud, simultaneously shooting Lucas a concerned glance.

"...Are you okay, Lucas?" Ness started hesitantly.

"I can't feel my face," Came the muffled voice.

Claus lumbered over. "That's because your head's buried under a foot of snow, you goof," he sighed, pulling his brother back onto his feet. Ness shouldered Ninten, who thankfully looked like he was still breathing steadily.

With neither Ninten conscious to joke around with them nor Lucas available to dissipate the tension, there was no one to stop Ness and Claus from butting heads. Wishing nothing more than to continue duking it out in the spot, both boys eyed each other with sharp glares of utter, vile loathing. Legs tensed, fists clenched, and feral teeth bared.

But they were cold and drained. Two of their friends were out of commission. They needed shelter.

Reluctantly, they seemed to agree on a silent truce, and fuming, stalked off in bitter silence.

* * *

><p>Once Claus had treated Ness to one of his deluxe "You suck and here's why" speeches, things couldn't have possibly gone worse after their savage free-for-all.<p>

But somehow, they did. For the first time in his life, Lucas was managing to make them both feel highly uncomfortable.

"I planted a sunflower once."

"That sounds nice, Lucas," Ness responded, trying to sound upbeat.

"It died."

"...Oh."

"Mom died too." Lucas looked sad. "I think she died because of me. I'm sorry, dad."

"Uh, it's okay...son," Ness petered out awkwardly.

Lucas said the most random things, and for over half the time, he apologized or blamed himself for causing these random things. Seriously, listening to the poor boy, anyone would think that he was the world's greatest sinner. It made Claus feel like an awful, lousy person in comparison.

"I can put him under with PK Hypnosis," Ness broke in quietly, eying the babbling blond in concern. "It's harmless. I use it on Tracy all the time when she can't fall asleep from nightmares."

But Claus vehemently refused. He didn't care that his brother was high; he was simply glad that Lucas was alive and talking. Claus usually did most of the talking anyways, so it made sense that he should at least try to listen to whatever his brother had to say.

_Besides_, he reasoned,_ Lucas would probably run out of things to talk about after a while._

Claus was sorely mistaken.

He had clearly underestimated how much Lucas could speak if he tried. As his brother continued to ramble on uselessly, Claus had to wonder if Lucas had ever spoken to anyone about these thoughts before. Quite honestly, it was as if the blond had stored his words up until this very moment, then decided to regurgitate them all out at once.

So now, Claus and Ness were stiffly stuck in the snow listening to a very high Lucas speak random things to random people.

Lucas sang. Once, he warbled a melody that sounded suspiciously like a drinking song. Another time, it was a keening low wail like someone was being horribly tortured.

He also spouted tiny little tid-bits: Harmless pieces of trivia that neither of them had known about the other. Apparently, Ninten had a secret hat fetish. Claus absolutely despised the taste of pork. Ness was highly addicted to Runway Five.

"But that's okay, Ness! Claus is obsessed with DCMC!" Lucas's eyes lit up brightly. "In fact, every night, Claus wears his pink DCMC _boxers_-"

Instantly, a mortified Claus clapped a hand over his brother's mouth, and Ness snorted.

"Lucas," Claus groaned, staring at his brother, who was still babbling happily in muffled joy. "That's supposed to be a secret."

Ness stifled a smirk. "It's okay, _boxer-boy_."

Claus colored a delicious shade of pink. "Stuff it, you fanatic."

For a second, smiles froze. There was a teetering pause, and everything seemed like it was going to be all right again...Then they averted their eyes and moodily festered back into deep, rotting silence.

But, of course, along with the funny trivia, Lucas had also spouted out many things about the more touchy subjects: Insecurities, Inner fears, Internal turmoil.

"Duster, did Wess cause your limp? Because Wess always calls you an ungrateful child."

"I don't think that asthma makes you weak, Ninten. You're one of the strongest people I know."

"Giygas is bald. He looks funny with a wig on. I'm sorry. That was mean. I'm a mean child. Mean, nasty child." Lucas sang, swinging his legs from his perch on Claus's back, "Nasty, nasty, nasty-"

But most unfortunately, Lucas pretty much knew both Ness and Claus inside-out. It came as no surprise to either of them; they were both quite close to the shy, contemplative boy. Every now and then, they would find themselves accidentally slipping out a painful secret or two in front of him, and as the considerate soul he was, Lucas would promise not to reveal it to anyone else.

But now, those hidden secrets were spilling out into the open.

"Don't worry, Ness. A lot of people I know have family problems. I don't think it's strange that your dad's a phone-"

Ness almost jumped, but managed to stop himself in time. He looked as though he was going to put Lucas to sleep, but hesitated and thought better of it. The baseball captain slumped over in defeat.

"-because he's divorced. At least he's there for you, right? Sometimes, my dad's in the house, and I can't tell if he's all...there."

"Lucas," Claus said tiredly, even though he knew that his brother couldn't hear him. "Please. Stop talking."

Lucas continued in that same terrible, matter-of-fact voice. "Dad's drunk a lot. Claus argues with him all the time. I hate it when they fight." A pause, and Lucas screwed his eyes shut. "I'm scared, Claus. I'm so scared that he'll snap and hit you one day. Then I'll be all alone..." A sob. "I'm sorry. I'm so selfish. I'm a selfish person..."

But all in all, Lucas's spiel was plain depressing.

Claus almost regretted his choice to let his brother speak, but he didn't have the heart to shut him down. Claus sneaked a side-glimpse; Ness didn't seem to know what to say either. They quickly fell back into uncomfortable silence.

As they trudged through the slurry of ice, the only sound that broke the disquiet was Lucas crying his heart out in the freezing snow.

* * *

><p>After what seemed like an eternity of awkward silence, Ness finally broke the ice.<p>

"We need fire," he said bluntly, lowering Ninten into a sheltered crevice with aching arms. "I'll find wood."

Claus nodded curtly. "I'll keep watch."

With that painfully brief conversation, Ness stalked off. The howling wind quickly covered up his form in snow.

Ninten had not woken up yet. Ness had deduced that he had somehow suffered an asthma attack, and unfortunately, the best they could do now was to wait it out. But as Ninten muttered delirious phrases under his breath, Claus felt slightly worried. Keeping a tight watch on his brother - whom he didn't trust quite yet not to wander off into the snow and hug another yeti - Claus placed a freezing hand on Ninten's forehead. His skin was burning up.

"Crap," Claus muttered. In their haste, they had forgotten to retrieve supplies from the facility.

Darting outside, Claus quickly grabbed a handful of snow. Hurrying back into the small cave, he knelt over and dumped the pile of ice awkwardly onto the other boy's forehead. It seemed crude, but with nothing else they could do, their options were limited. Hopefully, that would bring the fever down for now.

Lucas shivered, but whether from cold or fear Claus couldn't tell. He grasped one of his brother's hands. It was as freezing as hell.

Sliding an arm around his brother's shoulders, Claus gently pulled him closer, feeling his body heat warm the two of them up. Shaking slightly, Lucas immediately huddled in closer, burying his head into their embrace. His frozen nose poked into his shoulder like ice.

But body heat did little to comfort Claus. Ness was (in his opinion) acting like a major fuckass, Ninten was out cold (the Podunk teen would appreciate that pun wholeheartedly), and worst of all, Lucas was so close, yet so far. Lucas had always been there for him when no one was, and now, Claus felt terribly lonely.

"Ness?"

Claus jolted into awareness. He whipped around, but Ness was nowhere in sight, and Lucas was looking straight at him. Claus sighed.

_I really hope this drug trip won't last too long._

"Yeah?"

"Did my brother curse you out again? I'm sorry." Lucas sighed wearily. "I talked to him yesterday, and he apologized. He's sorry." A pause. "I'm not lying. That's what he said. Honest. I'm not making it up." Another pause. " I'm sorry. I lied. I didn't want to hurt your feelings. I'm a liar."

Claus's stomach twisted into contorted knots. "It's okay, Lucas."

"Okay." Lucas rolled the word in his mouth. "You like to use that word a lot. Okay."

"Hm."

Lucas smiled sincerely. "It's _okay_, Ness. Sometimes things don't always work out, but you have to move on. At least your dad loves you. I don't know if mine does." Lucas's eyes shone wistfully. "Thanks for being my best friend, Ness. There aren't many people who'll listen to me when I talk."

Claus's heart constricted painfully. "No problem."

"I think you're brave. Like Claus. I wish I could be brave. I'm a coward. Claus said so."

"You're not a coward."

"Thanks, Ness," Lucas said cheerfully. "But you don't have to lie. I'm a useless crybaby, and everybody knows that."

Realizing that it was hopeless to argue, Claus sighed and dragged a hand down his face. He fell silent, hoping that Lucas would catch his drift. Under normal circumstances, Lucas would've recognized his twin's reluctance to speak and would've backed off accordingly. But these weren't "normal circumstances"; Shrooms seemed to turn his shy, considerate brother into a blissfully oblivious chatterbox.

Lucas's voice filtered through the clearing yet again. "Hey, Ness?"

_I'm not Ness! _Claus wanted to scream, but Lucas was pleading at him with those wide, blue eyes and...oh, goddamnit, Lucas.

Claus reluctantly decided to humor him. "Yeah?"

Lucas leaned forward conspiratorially. "If it makes you feel better," Lucas whispered mischievously. "I think that Claus is a big dork too."

"That's great," Claus frowned, and Lucas laughed. Mentally, Claus reminded himself to have a nice, long chat with a certain baseball captain soon.

Lucas yawned sleepily, rubbing his eyes. The effects of the drug finally seemed to be wearing him out. "...Ness? Can I tell you something?"

"Sure."

"But it's a secret. You can't tell anyone," Lucas insisted firmly. "_Especially_ Claus."

Claus's interest peaked, but he immediately quenched it with guilt. What was he thinking? He shouldn't be listening in to his brother's private, innermost thoughts.

But Lucas was still eagerly waiting for him to respond. Curiosity finally got the better of him, and in that split second, Claus made a decision.

"I won't."

Lucas sighed deeply. For a short while, he said nothing, and Claus almost thought that Lucas had not heard him in his drug-induced state.

But then the words tumbled out of his brother's lips.

"I know that Claus can be really nasty to you," Lucas admitted honestly, hugging his legs. "My brother's reckless. Half the time, he doesn't think before he acts, and he can get too over-protective. That's why he often ends up causing more harm than good. Sometimes, I try to tell him, but it really frustrates me when he doesn't want to listen."

Claus was now beginning to regret ever starting this conversation. With a tight feeling in his chest, Claus turned away, trying to ignore the dismay twisting his heart into contorted knots. But as he rolled over, Lucas's last words managed to float past his ear.

"...but I wouldn't trade him for anyone else in the world."

Claus froze in place.

"He's smart. He's brave," Lucas said softly. "He's endured a lot of crap for me, and I'm really grateful, because not many people would do that for their younger siblings. Claus has a really big heart." Lucas smiled, confidently looking up at the ceiling with glazed eyes. "I know you two can get along great. Give him time. He doesn't show it, but he's definitely a lot happier after we met you and Ninten."

Another yawn, then Claus felt his brother's head slump against his shoulder.

"After mom died, Claus looked so sad...I don't like seeing Claus sad," Lucas murmured, closing his eyes. "I'd do _anything _to make Claus happy. Do you believe me when I say that, Ness?"

Claus swallowed hard. "I believe you."

The blond fell silent. Claus waited. But when his younger brother didn't speak again, he quickly snuck a glance over his shoulder.

Lucas had fallen asleep.

Claus's expression softened, and he gently ruffled his brother's hair. "You think too much, Lucas," he muttered under his breath, then chuckled. "But I guess that's good enough for both of us, huh?"

Lucas's gentle breathing was all he heard in response, and Claus sobered up solemnly. In a rare act of brooding silence, he moodily watched the flurry of snowflakes fall outside.

_Plink. Plink. Plink._

When he had started school back in August, Claus had only hoped to pass his exams, construct the solar car by February, and continue waging his locker-prank war against Ninten without getting caught.

What he had NOT expected was escaping from his supposedly sadistic Calculus teacher, chasing after mountain lions, and shooting thunderbolts from his fingers. And to add to that, he had almost lost his brother _three_ times over the course of their first semester alone.

That thought frightened Claus.

For some stupid reason, thick, hot tears started to seep from his eyes. Angrily, Claus fisted them away, then pulled Lucas closer. A lump formed in his throat, and he tightly pressed his cold, numb lips together.

"I'm sorry, Lucas," Claus said quietly. "Between the two of us, you never were the coward." He laughed shakily. "I am."

As if in answer, the howling wind battered violently against the measly cave. With a heavy heart, Claus gave a last sigh, then closed his watery eyes against the bitter cold.


	18. Chapter 18

UPDATE 9-3-15

Haha I've taken quite a break from Fanfiction, haven't I? But no worries. :) I'm polishing up chapter 20, and chapter 19 is so long that I'm splitting it into two chapters. I'll try to post the first half of Chapter 19 up sometime within a week.

As usual, thanks for your support. You guys rock.

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><p><strong><span>Author's Note:<span> Heya guys! **

**There's a special Author's Note at the bottom, so I'll keep this short. Enjoy the long-awaited chapter.**** :)**

**ConnorTheSpelingPro: Haha Thanks. :) For some reason, writing about high/drunk/psychologically-impaired characters flows more naturally to me. :x And hey, I like the criticism! I was re-reading the last chapter, thought that the tension between Ness and Claus went unnaturally smoothly, then went F*** it, they're _BRAWLING_. Haha, geddit? *gets hit in the head with a frying pan* Sorry, lame pun. But indeed, what defines cowardice? We could enter quite a philosophical discussion over that. :)**

**Angel-Woof: Hey, I don't think yo references are lame. DX Better than mine haha! And lol, I like that you added the *that's why I rarely drink alcohol.* That really made my day. xD Hmmm...whether or not Claus and Ness ever get over their spat, and whether Ninten will get better...who knows? ;) But haha, I read over all those questions you posted...very good questions too! ;D For now, we'll see, my friend, we'll see.**

**ApprenticeWriter: Thank you! :) Yes, I too believe that Claus was in denial over Hinawa's death, while Lucas accepted it. I honestly had no idea that many people thought the other way around. Perhaps they interpreted Hinawa's appearance in Chapter 6 as Lucas's unwillingness to let go of his past? We may never know. And haha, chatterbox Lucas is really too much fun to write. I'm a horrible person. xD **

**PKLoveGamma: Haha I hope that my chapter was more than just "semi good stuff." jk, I'm just messing with you. ;) But thanks! Hooray for deep stuff woooo**

**DarkFoxKit: Haha I really put the characters through a lot of pain, don't I? xD As for if Claus and Ness get along better...We'll see. ;) And yep, when in doubt, jump off a cliff. Oh PSI logic. XD Thanks; I really enjoyed writing that scene where Lucas thinks he's talking to Ness, but it's actually Claus instead...High!Lucas is so fun to write. Makes my life easier with conveying feels. xD**

**CrankySky: Claus really is the best brother ever, right? :) As for if Ninten will recover...we'll see. ;) And yes, I love writing about heartfelt interactions between Lucas and Claus. :) Brothers ftw!**

**Silvereyer: AHH Thanks xD And you're not alone; High!Lucas is so much fun to write! Hooray for self-deprecating feelings. :D And wow haha lots of excellent questions! Man, you reviewers are getting serious! XD Hmm...I do wonder too about what happened to Ninten and the other PSI teens. ;) But whether or not Lucas will stay high...we'll see. :)**

**OXYD: Aaah yes, Shrooms. Man's best friend. And secret notes gallore! ;D We'll have to wait and see, my friend.**

**Readergirl27: Tough journey is indeed tough. ;D And hey, no sweat! My username is _indeed_ short for "Phoenix Song," so "fee-song" would be the appropriate pronunciation. I honestly don't care though haha! Whatever makes you happy. :)**

**JustMeHi: Perhaps Lucas will wake up fine. Perhaps not. Maybe I've been trolling all the readers, and _this story is just __one, giant nightmare! _*Le gasp* Who knows? We'll see. ;)**

**MyXD: And yes, Claus has feeling. xD Probably. Who knows?**

**[Insert Appropriate Disclaimer Here]**

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><p><em>Claus?<em>

_L-Lucas? Why aren't you in bed?_

_I heard you running outside...Where are you going, Claus? _

_Where am I - what're you talking about? I'm not going anywhere, Lucas. Go back to sleep._

_Then why aren't you dressed in your pajamas? And...Is that dad's hunting knife?!_

_Finders, keepers._

_Claus!_

_That drunk driver caused all of this. I'm gonna find that bad man and make him pay._

_You don't even know where he lives!_

_Wait here, Lucas. I promise I'll be back._

_What are you gonna do when you find him?_

_I-I don't know! I'll think of something, okay?_

_You'll die out there! P-Please, Claus, don't do this, don't do this to me-_

_I'm not going to die, Lucas. Just you wait, I'm gonna bring mom home before you know it-_

_Mom's dead!_

_Liar!_

_Don't go! I can't let you__ die too!_

_Lucas, leave me alone, you coward! _

_I'm not a coward!_

_Yes, you are! Go home! Go cry at mom's grave like the useless crybaby you are! _

_No! Stay! I-I promise I won't cry again!_

_Lucas...? __Lucas! Let go of my knife!_

_It's dad's!_

_We have no dad! Dad's dead, like mom!_

_Please, Claus, don't leave, I'll...I'll do anything, please please please don't go I'm begging you__-_

_Lucas. LET. GO!_

.

_...Lucas? What's wrong?!_

_._

__Oh no, I didn't mean to! Wake up, Lucas!_ I'm sorry! _

_._

_HEEELP! Somebody! Anybody! _

_._

**_LUCAS!_**

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><p>Claus jerked back into awareness.<p>

Sweat poured down his clammy skin like freezing rain. Panicking, his blue eyes darted around instinctively in search of his twin brother-

But Claus didn't have to worry. Lucas was still leaning against his shoulder. The blond's slow, sleepy sighs tickled his bare neck.

Claus exhaled a shaky breath, then steadied his trembling fists. Lucas wasn't lying limp in his arms, unresponsive to his desperate, frantic yells. It had only been a dream.

Memories from last night started to trickle in. He recalled how they had oh-so-narrowly escaped from Giygas by the skin of their teeth. A quick glimpse revealed that Ninten was peacefully snoozing away, and Ness...

Claus paused in his train of thought. Where _was_ Ness?

Something flickered faintly outside, and loud, raucous laughter caught his ear. That definitely didn't sound like Ness.

Gently laying Lucas on his side, Claus curiously crunched his way over to the source of light. A darkened figure sat alone with his back turned to him, stoking the meager fire. Ness.

_That's odd. I was pretty sure he was talking with someone a second ago..._

"Hey! Hey, kid! Talk to us!"

"Shut up."

"Aww, you mad, bruh?" A disembodied snigger. "Oh, we _know_ you wanna beat us to pulp. You do, don't you? Bring it on, fatboy!"

"I'M NOT FAT!"

"Sure you aren't, _fatboy._" The pack of Chilly Dogs howled in hysterical laughter. "Come closer! It'll be nice to _eat _you!"

Claus froze. _Is Ness talking to __those Chilly Dogs?_

Still oblivious to Claus's presence, Ness threw the Chilly Dogs a withering scowl. "Leave me alone!"

"Woah. Take it easy, _chubs._" The arctic predators cackled hysterically like a pack of hyenas.

Claus had enough. Throwing away all caution, he ambled over. His shoes loudly crunched into the snow, and Ness stiffened at the indication of his approach.

One of the chilly dogs caught sight of him. "Oh, look! Another living meat!" A whoop of glee. "Ayyyyyy! Ay, carrot-head! Talk some sense into fatty over here, will yah-"

Claus's hands suddenly erupted into sparks of electricity. "You're barking up the wrong tree, _mutt,_" Claus hissed dangerously, icy blue eyes ablaze.

The Chilly Dogs nervously backed away. "We're just jokin' around, ginger," the alpha male whimpered, flattening his ears. "Take it easy..."

"Scram!" Claus snarled, viciously kicking a rock at them.

Ice erupted in its wake. With a howl of terror, the chilly dogs fled with their tails between their legs. Then the night was enveloped in thick silence once more, save for the crackle of the twisting fire.

Ness sullenly prodded a stick into the flames. "Stupid mutts."

Claus scowled. "Why the hell were you letting them talk shit over you?"

"They were trying to lure me away from the fire," Ness muttered. "...and I'm not fat," he added sourly under his breath.

Claus had never really given it much thought. He studied Ness. If anything, years of baseball had melted away much of his baby fat, giving Ness more of a burly, broad-shouldered physique. Stocky, perhaps, but chubby? Not really.

Out of curiosity, Claus examined his own fingers. Both he and Lucas were tall and lanky, but working on the farm had made them lean even though their skinny build didn't show it. He'll never be ripped, but Claus supposed it could be a lot worse. Ninten always seemed to be cursed with a frail, unhealthy figurine no matter how often he exercised.

Claus sighed, then shook the train of thought from his head. "I can't believe it. This entire journey's just been insane," he muttered. "First, our Calculus teacher turns out to be a sadistic mastermind, and now Chilly Dogs can talk. Damn logic."

Ness threw him a look. "Haven't you noticed?"

"Noticed what?"

"PSI boosts your mental awareness," Ness closed his fist. "That's why you can understand animals."

"Not the mecha-lion," Claus pointed out.

"That was a Chimaera. Not exactly an animal."

Claus threw his hands in frustration. "Chimaera, animal...Does it really make a difference?"

Ness shrugged nonchalantly. "Not really." He kicked more wood into the fire. Tiny embers flew, bark snapped and popped. Unzipping his bag, Ness dug a hand around in a pouch and fished something out. "Cup of Lifenoodles?"

"Lifenoodles?" Claus snorted, eying the package label. "Is that what they call Ramen these days?"

Ness shrugged again. "You want some or not?"

At the thought of food, Claus's stomach growled loudly much to his embarrassment.

"I guess. Now that you mention it, I'm feeling kind of hungry," Claus admitted.

"It might attract predators," Ness warned.

"Don't care. Doubt anyone could smell anything in this snowstorm anyways."

In no time, the cup of lifenoodles was brewing slowly over the fire. The smell of warm, steamy food spiraled in smoky wisps, tantalizing their cold, numb noses. The dead silence was only broken by the sound of broth merrily bubbling in a happy gurgle.

"How's your leg?" Claus said abruptly, eying the burn. The red, inflamed skin stretched painfully over Ness's calves. "You should really heal that."

"My leg's fine." Ness's gaze flickered gloomily over to the cave. "But Ninten looks like Hell."

"His fever's getting worse."

"Ninten's health was pretty damn awful to begin with in the first place. He just hides it well." Ness sounded testy. "I think the cold really did a number on him."

Claus swallowed hard. "That doesn't sound good."

"No shit."

"We could heal him-"

"Already did." Ness's expression looked haggard. "He's okay for now, but his fever's a lot more serious than I thought. I wanted to do more, but if we attract Starmen..."

"Oh, right. Shit," Claus muttered darkly.

Ness abruptly poked a stick into the fire. "How's Lucas doing?"

"I don't know. He's been saying all sorts of stuff in his sleep," Claus admitted, shifting uneasily. "I can't tell if he's still high or not."

"Great." Ness's voice dripped with pure bitterness. "That's _perfect_."

Claus said nothing. There was no need to; the quivering tension in the air spoke enough for the two of them.

Ness bolted to his feet. "Why the hell is this shit happening to us?!" he suddenly screamed into the sky, tightly clenching his fists. "Dammit, is it too much to ask for a normal school year?!"

The dark thunderclouds only rumbled ominously in response to his pitiful cry.

The distraught boy shakily stood upright in rebellion. "Well screw this! I don't give a fuck!" Ness slammed his palms against the snow, accentuating each curse with a vicious _crunch_. "Fuck the world! I'm so _fucking _tried of getting _fucked_ over by _fucking _Giygas all the _fucking_ time! FUCK!" Tears started to stream down his cheeks. "Damn it," he choked out, gritting his teeth. "Damn it all..."

Claus let him rage. As Ness vented out his frustration to the world, Claus stared moodily into the flickering fire.

But Ness quickly ran out of steam. His bitter rage extinguished, Ness lifelessly flopped onto the snow. "You know what? You're absolutely right, Claus." He laughed helplessly. "I'm pathetic."

Sighing heavily, Claus placed a palm to his aching head, sorely wishing for the _gazillionth _time that Lucas was here, because Claus sure as hell didn't feel like dealing with Ness's mood swings. "Ness," Claus said tiredly. "We're not getting into this again."

"It's all my fucking fault. If I never blabbed about that stupid facility, none of us would've gotten screwed over!"

"_Ness_."

"No, Claus! You're fucking right! Hell, nothing's okay! I'm a hypocrite!" Ness cried hysterically, waving his arms around. His violet eyes shone with pain. "Ninten's _dying_, Lucas is a complete _nutjob_, and I don't have a _fucking idea_ what to do next!"

"Get your shit together, you moron!" Claus suddenly snapped, stunning Ness temporarily. "Are you trying to get us all killed?! If you break down too, then we're done for!"

"Not really," Ness muttered dejectedly. "What would I know? I'm just a jackass who puts everyone in danger."

"...Look, I'm sorry." Claus took a shaky breath. "I didn't mean to call you a jackass-"

"It's 'kay," Ness mumbled defeatedly, slumping into a slouch. He idly traced patterns into the snow with his fingers. "I deserved it anyways."

Ness's dead tone made Claus uncomfortable. The baseball captain was always filled with some sort of crazy passion for something, and now that his spirit was utterly extinguished, Claus had no idea what to do.

"Dude, are you giving up already?" Claus sneered half-heartedly, hoping that the jibe would rile Ness up. "Talk about pathetic."

"I know," Ness said gloomily.

_Damn. That didn't work either. _Now at a loss for words, Claus gave up and decided to change track. "Why the hell are you outside?" he asked abruptly. "It's cold."

"I couldn't sleep."

"What kept you awake?"

Ness uncomfortably fiddled with the brim of his hat. Claus's words seemed to have resurfaced something unpleasant. And with the Chilly Dogs no longer a distraction, Ness couldn't help but brood on the worried thoughts seeping back into his soul.

_Gods, it's freezing. __I wonder how Paula and the others are handling all this snow. They'd better return home safely._

_Home..._

_My mom probably__ freaked out when I never came home from school. She's probably a nervous wreck right now._

_And Tracy...That stubborn girl'd better stay out of trouble._

_Geez, I miss them so much._

_I really hope they're okay._

Ness exhaled loudly, and his breath spiraled into the air. "Forget it. You'd only laugh at me."

"Try me."

"I'd rather not." Ness wearily closed his eyes. "I don't want your pity."

Claus snorted. "How d'you know I'd laugh at you if you won't even give me a chance?"

"That's what you always do, in'nit?" Ness sounded bitter. "Make fun of me."

"No, I-"

"Don't deny it."

Claus groaned, rubbing his forehead. "Ness, I make fun of _everyone_."

"You're missing the point." Ness shook his head. "And I'm supposed to believe that you're _related_ to Lucas..."

Claus threw him an irritated look. "Well, if I'm missing the entire point, then why don't you tell me, Oh Great Knower of Everything? Oh wait, that's right. I'm _not_ Lucas. I'm _Claus_." He rolled his eyes sarcastically. "Pretend I'm Lucas, then. I bet you'd tell him anything."

Ness snorted from his place in the snowpile. "Don't have to. He already knows."

Claus abruptly bolted to his feet. "You think you're being a smartass, huh?"

"So what if I am?"

"Stop dicking around!"

"I'm not dicking around!"

"THEN GET TO THE FUCKING POINT!"

"FINE!" Ness screamed, eyes blazing with wild madness. "I'LL TELL YOU IF YOU STOP BOTHERING THE SHIT OUT OF ME!"

"ABOUT DAMN TIME!" Claus almost screamed back.

"I'M HOMESICK!"

Claus froze, dumbstruck.

"I'm homesick, okay?" Ness repeated, screwing his eyes shut. "Does that answer your question, Claus?" he choked out. "Go ahead! LAUGH at me like you always do, because I'm just so _funny _to you all the frickin' time, aren't I?!"

Knees shaking from emotion and exhaustion, Ness wearily sank back into the snow. "You got what you wanted, Claus," he mumbled in a muffled voice. "Go away. I wanna be a-alone..."

Piteously curled up on his side, Ness looked so miserable that Claus closed his mouth.

_Great. Way to make me feel like the biggest douchebag in the entire universe._

But instead of leaving him alone, Claus only scooted closer so that they were sitting side-by-side. Staring intently at the snow, Ness steadily ignored him, but Claus stubbornly persisted.

"Hey. Listen to me. I'm not laughing, am I?" Understanding blue eyes blinked. "There's nothing wrong about feeling homesick."

"Sure. Maybe. I don't know." His mouth suddenly felt quite dry, and Ness tilted the brim of his cap over his watery eyes. "Ever since dad's left, it's been so hard on m' mom, 'specially with her street food business, you know?" His voice cracked. "I can't help it. I'm worried. I miss her a lot..."

Claus thought about his own father waiting back home. He wondered if Flint had started drinking again, then the heavy feeling in his stomach grew. "...I know."

Both boys silently watched the snowflakes flutter from the heavens and soak the earth. The cold sky seemed to be crying; the air damp and weather gloomy.

"I owe Lucas a lot."

"...Say what?"

"Your brother means a lot to me, Claus," Ness said quietly. "Because he helped me sort out my feelings towards my dad."

Claus looked stunned. "I thought you've always gotten along with your dad."

Ness laughed. "Always? Not really," he admitted. "It's a long story."

"We have time."

The crackling fire softened to a soothing murmur. Even the howling wind seemed to die down in anticipation of his explanation.

"My family used to be neck-deep in debt," Ness started quietly. "When my dad started working overtime, mom got mad. She didn't like how he was neglecting our family for his job. But we were still pretty happy, see, and me and m' paps were pretty close." Ness paused. "Then my parents divorced."

His expression darkened, and Ness poked at the campfire with a stick. "It hit me hard. I couldn't believe that dad had the gall to _abandon _us. It's really pathetic thinking back on it, but I turned into a total wreck. My grades started slipping. I couldn't focus on baseball. Mom always looked so tired, juggling two jobs and all, and I hated that. I blamed my dad for the divorce. I know, I was stupid and immature as fuck, but I couldn't help it. I hated him so much." Ness laughed bitterly. "Wouldn't you?"

Claus shifted uncomfortably. "I guess I would..." he admitted uneasily. "Didn't your dad call you afterwards?"

Ness snorted. "Oh yeah, he'd call us. He'd call us, like, every week, but I didn't bother picking up the phone." Ness looked pained. "You've got to understand I wasn't thinking straight, Claus. I was _really_ angry at my father. I never wanted to talk to him again...But as much as I hated him, he's still my dad. What was I supposed to do? Ignore him forever? Hell, I didn't even know what to think anymore."

Ness laughed. "Then Lucas convinced me to call my dad again. Said that not talking would only hurt both of us in the end. So I did." Ness uneasily stuffed his cold hands into his pockets. "He was right," he admitted. "It took me a while, but I'm glad I did. Apparently my dad missed talking to me too." He threw Claus a shifty glance. "So maybe you should give your dad a chance too."

Claus almost jumped out of his skin. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said defensively.

"Right." Ness rolled his eyes. "I was there when Lucas blabbed everything out, remember?"

Claus groaned, face-palming himself. "I can't believe it. I was sold out by my own _twin_."

"Hey, Lucas was high." Ness sent him a disapproving look. "Cut him some slack."

"Of course, you'd say that. You're his best friend!"

"And you're his brother!"

"So?"

Ness smirked. "Don't act stupid, Claus. Admit it. You got jealous whenever Lucas hung out with me."

"I DID NOT!"

"Liar." Ness laughed. "Hell, even Lucas knows how annoyingly overprotective you are. He's just too nice to say it."

Claus's face turned the same of tomato-red shade as his hair. "He always puts everyone else before himself," he muttered sullenly. "_Someone_ has to look out for him."

"That's what we're here for."

"Mm."

"...Don't tell me. I sound sappy."

"Yeah, you do."

Ness laughed, then shoved his shoulder. "You're such a mean prick, you know that?"

"Ninten says that to my face _all the time_."

"No shit. You really are an overprotective bastard."

Claus laughed. "An overprotective bastard, huh?" His calculating blue eyes softened. "Well, let me tell you something, Ness. I didn't use to be so uptight all the time."

Ness rolled his eyes. "Sure."

"No. Really." Claus turned quiet. "After my mom died...well, my dad wasn't the most supportive person. He started binge-drinking." He sounded immensely bitter. "You know the rest; you heard Lucas. I argue with my dad all the time."

Ness shot him an uncertain look. "But your dad never, you know..." he hesitantly mimed hitting the air with his fist.

Claus shook his head. "He never abused us, but he never really helped us out either. I guess he pretty much broke down in front of our eyes. And Lucas...Lucas would always cry every single day. Nothing I did made him happy again. It tore me apart." Claus suddenly laughed. "One day, I couldn't take it anymore. I ran away from home."

"You ran away?" Ness looked stunned. "How old were you?"

"I was seven."

"_Seven_?" Ness blurted out, horrified. "Claus, what the hell were you thinking?!"

Claus snorted. "That's the point. I wasn't thinking at all." His fists tightened. "All I wanted to do was find the drunkard who killed my mom and avenge her death. Somehow. I don't really remember _what_ I was thinking."

"What happened next?"

Claus's eyes involuntarily flickered behind him.

"Lucas caught me running off with dad's hunting knife." Claus said softly, watching his brother breathe deeply in slumber. His eyes seemed to lose focus. "...We got into a pretty big fight. When I refused to stay, Lucas got desperate and wrestled the knife away. I tried to yank it free, but instead, I..." Claus swallowed hard. "I-I..."

Suddenly, Claus buried his face in his hands, muffling his anguished confession. "I accidentally stabbed him."

Ness's eyes flew open. "_What_?!"

"It wasn't on purpose! I swear!" Claus blurted out in mortification. His voice sounded pained. "That was the worst moment in my life, Ness. I really thought I'd killed him...and it happened right after mom died too..."

Claus fisted his own hair violently into twisting knots. "When he collapsed, I tried shaking him. That didn't work, so I was yelling and shouting and screaming all sorts of things into his face, but he wouldn't wake up..." Claus drew in several dry, rib-racking sobs that rattled and ripped through his skinny frame. "Lucas w-wouldn't w-wake up..."

Taken aback by the sudden show of emotion, Ness hesitantly reached out a reassuring hand to pat Claus on the back, then thought better of it. "Hey, spoiler alert," he pointed out gently. "He's alive."

Taking a deep breath to compose himself, Claus laughed shakily. "Lucas's only alive because of stupid, dumb luck. I'd only knocked him unconscious with the blunt end of the knife. If it'd been the blade..." He shuddered. "I was terrified, Ness. I didn't know how Lucas was gonna react to seeing me again, and if Lucas decided to hate me for the rest of my life...I-I don't know what I'd do with myself. So all I could do was wait until he woke up...

_"Lucas?" Claus asked anxiously, intently watching his twin brother stir from the hospital bed._

_Lucas groaned, then grimaced, clutching his throbbing injury. "...Ow...My head hurts..."_

_"LUCAS!" Claus nearly wept with relief. "You're awake!"_

_Lucas blinked, not completely believing his eyes, because CLAUS was there, and brave, I've-never-shed-a-tear-in-my-life Claus was, well, CRYING his eyes out. "Claus?"_

_"I'm so sorry, Lucas, I-I didn't mean to, I swear! __It was an accident," Claus said hoarsely. He swallowed down the lump in his throat; h__is words sounded horribly lame, even to his own ears. __"You know I'd never hurt you on purpose, right?" _

_When his brother didn't respond, Claus felt his heart sink. "Lucas," he almost begged. "Say something!"_

_But the blond had still yet to speak. __Feeling Lucas's silent, shocked stare prickle his skin, Claus timidly averted his eyes, scuffing the white hospital tiles with his shoe. "Look, I-I won't blame you if you hate me, but I wanted to say that I'm really sor-"_

_"Claus!"_

_The next thing Claus knew, Lucas was squeezing the life out of him as if Claus had almost died instead._

_"L-Lucas?" Claus said stupidly, arms lying uselessly at his sides. "What-"_

_"Please don't leave, Claus," Lucas sobbed hysterically. Claus could feel his brother's hot tears trickle down his shoulder. "D-Don't leave! I'm sorry! I-I promise I won't cry again-"_

_"You dolt! I don't care about THAT!__" Claus cried, making Lucas fall silent in shock. "_Do you know how worried I was?__! _You could've DIED! You could've died like mom!__"_

_Of course, that made Lucas cry even harder._

_"Stop crying!" Claus stomped his foot angrily into the ground, even though he had no idea why he was angry and tears were flowing down his face too. "Geez, you're such a crybaby, Lucas-"_

_"__I don't care," Lucas sobbed, clinging onto his shirt tightly in a death grip. "I don't care!"_

_Claus gave a shaky laugh of relief. "You're so silly, Lucas." He closed his overflowing eyes. "Silly Lucas..."_

_"Stay, Claus, please stay..."_

_"I swear. I'll never run away again." Claus let out a choked sob, then buried his face into his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Lucas...I'm so sorry..."_

"I was stupid. I was selfish. I'd been so caught up trying to avenge my mom that I almost ended up killing my own twin brother. How pathetic is that?" Claus laughed bitterly. "You see why I'm such an overprotective bastard now, Ness? I can't let anyone hurt Lucas, because _I_ did. Lucas doesn't need more shit in his life." Claus exhaled shakily. "And you call yourself the hypocrite. Well, look no further, because the real hypocrite is sitting right here in front of you."

Ness looked stunned. "Claus...I-I never knew-"

"Well, now you do." Claus stared into the crackling campfire. "Lucas still gets these really bad nightmares of me running away. It's gotten a lot better with time...But nothing's really been the same ever since."

An impressive silence stretched between them. Ness was lost for words. In comparison to the twins' lives, his parents' divorce seemed a walk in the ball park. Mulling over it, Ness had to wonder how long Claus had lived bearing that haunting guilt.

Yet Claus had always been there for Lucas, hadn't he? Hell, Ness had to be blind not to notice how much Claus had cared for his younger twin.

As an older brother himself, Ness only felt his respect for the ginger grow.

Claus seemed to be zoning off in his thoughts, so Ness glanced over his sleeping companions. Looking slightly better than before, Ninten muttered something about expired Oreos, promptly rolled over on his side, then smacked his lips contentedly. Lucas trembled and thrashed in the throes of another unpleasant nightmare, and a growing frown creased his forehead.

That alone seemed to wake Claus out of his reverie. Gently, he brushed the sweaty, blond bangs out of his brother's face, then mentally swept away the dreadful dream. His expression looked so tender and heartfelt that Ness averted his eyes to give them privacy.

"S'okay," Claus murmured, squeezing his brother's hand in a soothing gesture. "'M here."

Lucas sighed, then relaxed. "...Claus," he breathed in relief. His eyelids fluttered weakly, trapped in a delirious haze. "C-Claus..."

Claus's eyes softened. "We're safe. Sleep."

Lucas didn't need to be told twice. As if he had heard him, the blond closed his weary eyes. In no time, Lucas fell back under deep slumber, evidenced by his heavy breathing.

Deeming it safe to look again, Ness watched them both from afar. "He'll be fine. Quit worrying, you prat."

"I can't help it. I don't want to lose him again."

"You can't protect him forever, Claus," Ness said softly. "Lucas'll have to fend for himself eventually."

"I know. That's why I..." Pale blue eyes abruptly latched themselves onto him. "Ness. Promise me something."

Ness was taken aback by Claus's sudden tone of urgency. "Yeah?"

"If something goes wrong in this stupid quest...a-and I'm not there..." Claus swallowed hard. "Keep an eye out for Lucas for me, will you?"

"What the hell, Claus?!" Ness sputtered violently. "I know we screwed up big time, but d'you really think we'd be stupid enough to screw up again?"

"But what if we do?" Claus threw him a look. "Listen, Ness, Lucas isn't dense, but you've got to admit that he's pretty naive. If he does something stupid and gets himself killed...I don't think I could ever forgive myself."

"Dramatic much? Sometimes I think hanging around Ninten really rubs off on you." Ness rolled his eyes. "Give Lucas some credit, Claus. He's like, the _last_ person to do something stupid."

"That's why I'm worried."

Ness exhaled heavily. "I don't know, Claus..."

"We don't have to tell him. He won't ever have find out," Claus pleaded. "It can be a secret. Just between the two of us."

"Oh man." Ness grimaced. "If Lucas ever finds out, he's not gonna be too happy about this. What if he thinks we're coddling him because we don't trust him to handle things on his own? Haven't you thought about that, Claus?"

"But it's for his own good. With Giygas targeting the two of us..." Claus's eyes blazed wildly in desperation. "For crying out loud, do I have to explain? You're his best friend, Ness!"

"...Damn it, Claus," Ness grumbled. "Stop guilt-tripping me. I mean, we're all gonna be keeping an eye out for each other-"

"Answer my question!"

Ness sighed. "You know my answer."

"I'm waiting."

A suspenseful silence. A dull crackle of fire.

Finally, Ness sighed. He rolled his eyes. "Okay, I swear I'll keep him safe. Satisfied?"

Claus relaxed noticeably. "Very."

Ness threw him an exasperated look. "Was it really necessary to make me say that out loud? You know I'd never let anything bad happen to him!" But Ness wasn't really annoyed; there was a slight twinge of amused humor in his voice.

"I wanted to hear it right out of your mouth," Claus admitted.

"But under one condition..." Ness threw him a look reminiscent of a feral shark. "You're telling him _everything_."

"But-"

"No buts. Lucas deserves to know."

"Fine," Claus grunted. "Not yet."

"...Gods, Claus. Why don't you tell Lucas and get it over with? It's not that hard!" Ness complained, dragging a palm down his face. "Now all this guilt from hiding stuff from Lucas is gonna kill me..."

"Ow." Claus suddenly winced.

"What's wrong?"

The ginger grimaced, rubbing at his throbbing bruise. "My jaw hurts like heck."

Ness threw him a guilty look. "I punched you pretty hard, didn't I?"

Claus snorted. "I kicked you in the ribs. We're even."

"Yeah." Ness winced. "Now that you mention it, breathing's gonna be a pain..."

Claus smirked. "You sissy. I didn't kick you _that_ hard."

Ness rolled his eyes. "I never said that it hurt, it's just kinda sore. I can take an amateur like you anytime."

"That's what you'd like to think, _noob_."

"Look who's talking!"

The sound of vigorous bubbling interrupted their bickering, and Ness's eyebrows shot up. "The Lifenoodles! _Shit_!" Ness desperately dived forward, trying to save their meal from the mercy of the fire.

"Dude, you really are a noob, aren't you?"

Laughing, Claus ducked as Ness hurled a pair of wooden chopsticks at his head. "Shut up and eat, _ginger__snaps_."

"You suck at cooking."

"It's not cooking!" Ness protested. "This stuff's pre-packaged!"

All conversation halted briefly as they devoured their meager meal. Chopsticks clacked, noodles slurped. The wintry silence was only broken by the sound of ravenous eating.

Five minutes later, Claus made a face. "Ugh, this tastes _disgusting_."

"Oh man, trust me. You don't know _disgusting _until you hear this." Ness's grin widened. "Last year, Ninten and I went to Walmart with Teddy, and dude, you wouldn't believe what happened..."

* * *

><p>A dawn of yet another, nameless day.<p>

Whether it was Monday or Friday, the fact never changed: his sons were missing. Flint could feel their emptiness at home. A heavy silence weighed in the dwelling, unbroken by Claus's excited footsteps or Lucas's happy laugh.

He was alone.

_I guess this is a taste of my own medicine, _Flint thought dryly, remembering his 6-year drunken isolation from the world. Perhaps this was how withdrawn little third grade Lucas had felt when Hinawa died, or maybe how angry Claus had been at the world for taking everything away from his life.

Flint had wondered how on earth he had not spiraled back into drinking. It was truly a miracle: the aching withdrawal symptoms were still there, clawing at his blood, and Flint was painfully aware of them. It was like an itch that refused to go away.

On the day the police came to report Lucas and Claus missing, he had popped open a casket of wine and allowed himself one drink, just one to numb the pain. But no matter how much his body had screamed for more, Flint had stopped. He could feel Claus's simmering disapproval and Lucas's quiet melancholic gaze from the empty dining table.

_You promised, _He could hear Claus's disappointed voice say.

For the first time since Hinawa had died, Flint had cried. Gathering the vats of alcohol in his arms, he had tossed them outside in a pit of dirt, then set the devilish substance ablaze. He had numbly watched the burning bonfire for hours until the inferno finally died down into crumbling ashes.

But this time, Flint wasn't going to make the same mistake twice. He had sworn to uphold a promise, and he was going to keep it.

That explained why he was strolling out to the marketplace at 6:30 AM, off to buy his livestock sufficient feed for the winter. The trip to the marketplace went as planned. He stepped inside the store, bought some grain, and briskly returned home.

Or at least, he would've returned home, had he not caught a pleasant whiff of grilled steak wafting from a nearby street food stand. His stomach grumbled in protest, and he sighed. If he was hungry, he might as well pick up a quick bite to eat.

He sidled closer to the source of the delicious cooking. The street food stand was covered with a white - now faded dusty gray - canvas, that hung like a tent over some plastic chairs and a small, makeshift kitchen in the back. There seemed to be only one woman working here, clad in a dark, black dress, and she seemed to be the chef. The noisy, weary clatter of dishes and sluggishly running water hit his ears.

Flint's presence immediately caught the chef's attention, and - to his own irony - he ended up ordering a steak-filled omelet. While she was cooking his order, Flint peered around the street food stand. The interior of the canvas was pasted with several posters asking for the whereabouts of a missing, black-haired teen. The teen looked familiar, but in the darkness of dawn, Flint couldn't tell.

But his stomach plummeted; the missing posters had reminded him of his lost sons.

"...Your order, sir."

The woman's voice jolted him out of his reverie.

Flint immediately stood up, thankful for the distraction, then grabbed his order. He tasted the omelet. Surprisingly, it tasted just like Lucas's, maybe a hint saltier, but the fluffy texture still reminded him of better times and warmed his insides.

Suddenly, some distressed sniffling sounds caught his ear. He perked up and stared towards the source. The chef was crying silently, tears rolling down her cheeks as she cooked another batch of omelets onto the stove.

Flint hesitated, then sidled over by the kitchen counter. He lowered the brim of his hat. "Excuse me, Miss," he rumbled quietly. "Are you all right?"

The woman jumped, before hastily wiping her tears away with a napkin. Flint wordlessly reached into his vest, pulling out Hinawa's white handkerchief. She took it graciously, dabbing at her eyes.

"Oh, thank you, good sir. I'm quite all right..." The chef laughed weakly, then her eyes glazed over. The perfect picture of brooding worry. "...But I'm afraid I cannot say the same for my son. He went missing from school along with a few of his friends." The chef waved an arm aimlessly at the missing posters around them. "That's my boy there. He's such a wonderful, responsible kid...Ever since I divorced his father, it's been hard on all of us, but he's always been nothing but a huge help. Running after school to help me with the grocery errands and deliveries..."

Flint nodded silently, a lump forming in his throat. Within the chef's miserable speech, he could pick out a tone of pride. She had every right; not many teenage boys would probably be willing to help out their parents in hardship. Flint felt an odd mix of sympathy and guilt: sympathy for the chef's loss, guilt that he had not been there for his ever-responsible sons after Hinawa had passed away.

"I'm sorry to hear that." Flint swallowed hard. "My sons have disappeared too."

The chef looked up startled. "Your sons?"

"Twins."

The woman flinched so violently that she almost burned her hands on the stove. "It c-can't be...Lucas and Claus?" she stammered.

Flint jolted. He stared at her in incomprehension. "Yes. How-?"

The woman laughed, but this time there was no trace of bitterness. "Ness talks about them all the time. Claus sometimes tags along with Ness on his grocery errands, and in fact, Lucas taught me his homemade recipe for his omelets last year." She smiled sadly, clearly reminiscing the pleasant memories. "Your sons are very conscientious. You must be very proud of them."

_Ness._

That name clicked into Flint's head. The image of a confident, black-haired teen sprung up in his mind. "Ness is a smart lad," he finally said. He stared steadily into the flustered woman's eyes. "I'm sure they'll be safe. All of them."

Looking at her more closely, Flint realized that she was quite pretty - her eyes laughed and crinkled the same way Hinawa's had. His heart twinged with a pang of remorse.

The woman sighed. "We can only hope for the best..." Her lips quirked upwards slightly. "_Elpis..._the very last thing trapped in Pandora's Pithos..." She stared into the distance. "The only thing left in the hands of mankind."

* * *

><p>"Claus! Ness!"<p>

Claus blearily registered someone roughly shaking his shoulders. He feebly swatted at the annoying hands. "Cut it out...Wanna sleep..."

"Wake up! I'm serious! I need your help!"

_Wait. I know this voice... _His brain finally caught up to his sleep-induced state, and Claus immediately jolted awake. "Lucas?!" he sputtered.

True to his word, his brother's worried face swam in his vision.

"You're awake!" Lucas looked immensely relieved. "Listen, when I woke up I...Guys?"

Claus and Ness were both eying him strangely. Their blank stares were starting to make him increasingly nervous, so Lucas threw them an anxious look. "Is there something on my face?"

Suddenly, Claus let loose a loud laugh of relief, then pulled his startled brother into a crushing bear-hug. "You're back!"

Caught by a moment of bewildered confusion, Lucas hesitantly patted Claus on the back. "I'm...back," Lucas agreed dumbly. He frowned. "Wait, back from where?"

Ness popped up at his side with a grin. "You were as high as fuck."

Catching sight of their amused smiles, Lucas groaned. "I said something stupid, didn't I?"

Claus smirked. "Maybe. Maybe not,"

Lucas flushed in mortification. "Oh no," he said meekly. "Don't tell me. I don't wanna know..."

Ness snorted into laughter. "You called me _dad_."

If possible, Lucas's face turned an even brighter red. "I-I did not!"

Claus cackled loudly. "True story, bro. I can attest."

As his brother and best friend grinned at him like a pair of silly loons, Lucas narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Wait, what's up with you two...?" Lucas started, his gaze lingering on their bruises. "Did something happen?"

"What d'you mean?" Claus chimed with a grin.

"You two don't usually...nevermind. We can talk later." Lucas immediately dissolved into worry. "Ninten looks ill. _Really_ ill."

That wiped the smile off their faces.

"Is he awake?" Ness asked.

Lucas nodded.

Without missing a beat, Ness sprinted over. "Ninten?"

A sickly smell hung over the enclosed air.

Ninten's entire face was flushed. Perspiration dripped from his black bangs, and his wet brown eyes looked clouded from feverish haze. He uttered another weak moan before stirring awake. "Hey."

Lucas placed a hand on his head, before yanking it back immediately. "Ninten! You're burning up!"

"Duh, Lucas." Ninten said, cracking a feeble grin. "I'm hot stuff. Geddit? _Hot_ stuff?"

"...I can't believe you." Even in his distraught state, Claus couldn't help but roll his eyes. "And you wonder why your pick-up lines never work for Ana."

Ness immediately materialized beside him. "Does he need an inhaler?"

"I-I'm fine!" Ninten gasped, cursing his weakness for the millionth time. _Why do I hold everyone back all the time...?_

But with a small shake and a grimace, Ninten forced himself upright, wobbling on unsteady knees. "I'm ready. Time to go-"

His knees buckled, and without warning, Ninten stumbled. Lucas cried out in alarm, but before Ninten could pitch forward into the ground, something steady gripped his arm.

"And where the hell do you think _you're_ going?" Claus snorted, easily hefting Ninten back onto his feet. But it did no good; his exhaustion was too much for him, and Ninten flopped onto the ground like a dead stone.

"Ninten?" Lucas's worried face swam next to his brother's. "Can you stand?"

Ninten grunted before trying again and failing. If he wasn't already flushed from fever, he was now from humiliation.

All in all, Ninten felt awful. He could hear his muscles screaming in agony, and his empty stomach violently twisted from lack of food. Talking only made things worse; his mouth felt uncomfortably dry, and he felt like he was about to puke any minute.

"Shit. I really can't stand."

Ness bit his lip, clearly torn. "But we have to keep moving, or the Starmen will find us..."

Ninten groaned. "I can crawl," he rasped. "It's not a big d-deal..."

"You're not going anywhere," Ness immediately countered, eyebrows furrowed. "Ninten, your health-"

"There's nothing wrong with my health!" Ninten snapped angrily. "I'm perfectly FINE!"

"Sure, you are," Claus said sarcastically. "Listen, you're in no condition to fight, much less walk three centimeters in front of your nose."

"I can handle it!" Ninten protested weakly, struggling to his feet. "Just watch me! I can...I can..." His eyes rolled up into the back of his head, and he slumped over in an unconscious heap.

"Ninten!"

Claus caught him by the shoulders. "Damn it, Ninten! Stop over-exerting yourself!"

Ninten shuddered. Hot tears streamed down from his abnormally pale cheeks. "Water," Ninten croaked. "Want...water..."

"We could melt the snow..." Lucas trailed off feebly.

"Won't help." Ness raised his voice above Ninten's pathetic cries. "He needs medical treatment. Now."

"W-Water..."

"Use PK Healing!" Claus cut in, exasperated. He violently gestured to Ninten's limp, moaning form. "I mean, _look_ at him! He already looks half-dead, Ness! D'you really think 'Ten could last another day like this?!"

"I know! But we need a place to rest and recover!" Ness looked downright desperate. "If we keep moving around in the cold, he might get worse, or one of us might end up getting sick too!"

Lucas's breath hitched in his throat.

_A place to rest and recover._

_...I don't know if they can help, but it can't hurt to try._

Claus's voice cut into his thoughts. "...Lucas? We really can't afford to have you zone out too." But when Lucas turned around, Claus caught the determined spark in his eye. "You got an idea?"

"Yeah," Lucas said quietly. He stared at Ninten slowly suffering on the rocky floor, and the cold whistle seemed to weigh heavier in his pocket. "I think I know what to do."

* * *

><p>He blew the metallic whistle. A reedy, exotic tune played from his lips.<p>

One minute. Two.

Time ticked past, and nothing happened.

But Lucas refused to lose hope. _Come on...Please..._

.

.

.

.

.

Then-

"Holy heck!" Ness exclaimed in disbelief, peering into the snow. "Is that a _flying _coffee table?!"

* * *

><p><strong>I'm bored. Feels are great and all, but let's kick things up a notch in the Mystery Department, shall we?<strong>

**If you're reading this, then congratulations. Despite my crappy writing, you have decided to give my amateurish fic a second chance, and have trudged through a heck of 100K+ words. **

**All of you have been **_**very**_** interactive, patient readers so far. I really cannot thank you enough for your support, whether you've been an active reviewer, or merely a secret lurker (haha I'm not judging you - I know that feel). Seriously, Thank you x 1000000000.**

**So hey, I'll be willing to play an **_**interesting**_** gamble with ya'll. Call it a _harmless game_, if you will. As reward for your generous support, I've decided to tease you with scenes taken out-of-context from future chapters.**

**Yep, you heard me correctly. From FUTURE chapters. **

**Of course, though, there is one _tiny_, eensy-weesy catch: I'm not labeling what's real, and what's fake. Heck, for all I know, all of them might be fake. How refreshing! But rest assured that I'm not _that_ mean. ;)**

**And w****ithout further ado, ****Which of the following are real futuristic scenes?**

**(1) Ness is given the kiss of life. Or death. Or whatever.**

**(2) PK Starstorm. Because reasons.**

**(3) "Don't struggle! Just endure it for a little bit."**

**(4) Claus dies.**

**(5) All of the above.**

**See? I'm even nice enough to toss in choice 5 to mess with your minds. Because, really now, it'd be too ****boring** **if I didn't, don't you agree? ;D Have fun! Nwehehe!**

**Now that I've probably made you scream in frustration, I'll get workin' on chapter 19. Not sure when that chapter will be up (It's pretty heavy), but rest assured that I'll post it at some point. Party on!**


	19. Arc III, Chapter 19: Sanctuary

**Heya guys!**

**Holy smokes. It's been over a month since I've updated. I offer my sincerest apologies on leaving you all on such an abrupt note; college has started, and oh boy, with ochem and mobio this semester, I've only gotten a total of 16 hours of sleep this past week alone. I really wanted to post this chapter yesterday, but my three roomies got worried and advised me to take a nap. I refused. Finally, one of them came up to me with this REALLY serious look in her eyes, and said,**

**"Phoesong, SLEEP. If you don't take a nap right now, I'm gonna knock you out. _With a frying pan_."**

**Thankfully, none of us own frying pans, so I am writing to you with my head still snuggly fit on my shoulders. But yeah, long story short: I've been crazy busy, college wi-fi sucks, and my roomies are awesome. **

**About Chapter 19...oh geez. It was so long (~20,000 words without A/N), that I split it into two chapters. So if this chapter feels incomplete, I'm sorry; I'll get around to posting the other half as soon as I can :) If it also makes you feel better, Chapter 20 is also partially done~**

**And oh geezus, your reviews...why do they seem to increase in feels every time I read them goddamnit I need a tissue**

**With all the time that's passed and chapter 19 festering in my doc manager, I was feeling less and less confident about posting what I had. But hey, for better or for worse, y'all deserve to know how this story ends. **

**SO HOLY BANANAS LET'S GET THIS SHOW ON THE ROAD!**

* * *

><p><strong>Trying not to kill your eyes with bold text. ^_^<strong>

**ConnorTheSpelingPro****: **YES, I LOVE CRITICISM! *Throws confetti on your head* I know what you mean. To be honest, I'm still not pleased with the chapter. I tweaked around a few words, but because of the non-descriptive flashbacks, I think the emotional department kinda fell into a cheesy flop. Oh boy. I'll see what I can do though. And heh, it's all right; even if you don't care much about plot, I hope you find the characters satisfying. :)

**ApprenticeWriter: **Ah yes, if only an accidental stabbing could've saved Canon!Claus. D: And...forgive my lack of Mother/Earthbound knowledge, but I had no idea that the Mr. Saturn are chimaeras. Oops.*Bows low in apology* I have failed thee! ...PK Starstorm, huh? Interesting choice~ ;D And you're absolutely right: who doesn't love mom-fricking Starstorm?

**B33 Beep Beep Meow: **Claus *might* die. ;) Not yet, homie, not yet.

**Mysterious Owl****: **Hmmm choice one? We'll see, my friend. :D We'll see.

**Insert Name Here: **Wow, PK Starstorm's really becoming a popular choice. XD And awh shucks, I'm glad you like my story. :) After all, it's my job to make this fic as entertaining as possible~

**Angel-Woof**: Yay for character history! Don't you worry, Angel-Woof, we'll have plenty lot of those coming up in the future! And YAS you called the Mr. Saturns! XD As for if Ness and Claus will get along together, I hope so too. :) And ohhh geez, you do not know how long I spent ROFLing over your analysis of possible future scenarios. Keep making me laugh with your humor! But wow, everyone's choosing PK Starstorm...And about my SSBB fic, it's on hold for now until I finish this monster right here. :) But thanks for reading it~

**DarkFoxKit: **Sorry. D: Ahhhh I didn't mean to bother you with Claus possibly dying I'm an awful person asdfghjkl- but thanks. :) It's about time Ness and Claus got along haha. And hey, thank you for your support on my fic. I really appreciate it. :)

**Guest**: Ahh shucks, I'm just really glad that this fic makes you happy. :) Being happy always beats bubbling in the blues, right?

**Readergirl27: **Thanks. :) Yeah, I'm also a fan of multiple POVs b̶e̶c̶a̶u̶s̶e̶ ̶i̶t̶ ̶g̶i̶v̶e̶s̶ ̶m̶e̶ ̶m̶o̶r̶e̶ ̶w̶a̶y̶s̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶f̶i̶t̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶f̶e̶e̶l̶s̶ ̶

**DistorterOfPhase: **Thank you. I do my best to be as knowledgeable as I can about this franchise :) And interesting, quite interesting selections of choices there…Are you sure I won't have the will to kill off Claus? Challenge accepted. B) And to answer your questions:

**(1)** I do plan on playing the Mother series (most likely emulator)…but probably not anytime soon. XD Assuming I even get into med school, I won't get a job until I turn like thirty. So lol maybe I'll play it then.

**(2)** The characters rescued from the facility will make a return in the original chapter 20 (before 19 got split). So to be clear: Chapter 21.

**(3)** You answer me. B)

**CrankySky: **Haha Claus is indeed a jerk with a heart of gold. And hooray for more brotherly-fluff moments! XD And as for if Ninten will get better…we'll see. ;) And dude, seriously, thank you for your patience:)

**Silvereyer: **True dat. You got a point there; my fic's getting damn serious. XD And no, don't apologize; I should've clarified. :) Ninten's been knocked out by the asthma, but he's got a really weak immune system so he got really sick in the cold. :x Sorry haha – I'm supposed to expand on this next chapter, so don't worry! And touche; Mr. Saturn are strange folk. Ahh yeah, I'd like to think that Flint thinks of Hinawa even after all these years. :( And hey, that's a curious interpretation of which future events are gonna occur (especially with the mouth-to-mouth resuscitation). But I'm not spoiling anything yet~ ;D And yeah, thanks for your consideration. :) I'm grateful that a lot of my readers are surprisingly conscientious, and I appreciate that.

**PollyanaMother3:** lol, you're not alone. *If* Claus dies, I'm pretty sure I'll have to run before all of you start coming at me with your torches and pitchforks. XD But as for whether or not I'll kill him off…we'll just have to wait and see. ;D

**A Fan**: Heya there! :D It might sound strange, but I feel like I remember you from reviewing Connor's "City of Progress." *checks* Oh whoops I'm right. Haha this feels like a weird reunion. XD And no sweat; the majority of my readers don't leave reviews, which is fine – everyone is Internet shy to some degree. :) But if you want to leave behind a review, by all means, multas gratias. :)

**Guest:** Thanks! No, it's okay to admit it; my earlier chapters were sucky. XD They still are, but I'm done fiddling with them. No point in poking the sleeping bear in the eye. But thanks; your comment really tells me that my writing's improved somewhat, albeit even only a little. XD

**PlushiePaw:** Imagine my surprise when I checked the inbox and saw your delightful review. Wow, seriously, thanks, man. :) Likewise, because this fic makes references based on canonical events, I can't avoid pairings altogether, but Romance will play a small role in the fic. As an older sibling myself, I wanted to express my own concerns over my own brother and transfer them into writing this fic. :) And as for whether or not Claus will die…we'll see. ;) And gosh,why are all you readers are choosing PK Starstorm haha

**OXYD:** Oh man, finally a different answer. xD But I'm not spoiling anything yet~

**Guest:** Bruh, I just updated! ;D *Throws confetti into the air* And nice theory you've got there. :) But you know I wouldn't tell you if it's right or wrong. ;D I'm not spoiling anything~

**[Insert appropriate disclaimer here]**

* * *

><p><strong><span>Additional Disclaimer<span>: This chapter includes a scene with b****ullying and harsh language. If you want to skip it for whatever reason, that's fine. Simply press the [cntrl][f] key and type in Present.**

**...Wait why the fudge did I never warn you about language until now oops forgive me**

* * *

><p><span><strong><em>Past<em>:**

"-and there," Claus finished, scribbling his signature in green ink. "Now it's your lucky charm."

"Great. I'm so glad it's finally Claus-approved," Lucas joked, carefully examining his arm cast.

Rolling his eyes, Claus gave a sigh of exasperation. "I can't honestly believe you broke your arm in the school _bathroom._"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. I can't believe it either. The floor was, um, wet. I tripped and fell kinda awkwardly on my arm," Lucas lied, fervently hoping that Claus wouldn't see through his act.

"I know, right?" Claus agreed, nodding his head. "Man, that must have been one heck of a fall."

Lucas lowered his eyes. "Yeah, it was..." he said quietly.

"No kidding. You looked completely trashed," Claus replied, eyeing him carefully.

Feeling like he was being X-rayed, Lucas resisted the urge to shrink back, and involuntarily tugged on the sleeves of his shirt to hide the bruises on his unbroken arm. "I guess it just wasn't my day," Lucas laughed nervously, averting his eyes to study the floor. "W-We all have b-b-bad days, right, Claus?"

To his surprise, Claus didn't question him. "Yeah," Claus said, forcing a laugh so painful that even Lucas could see through it. "I mean, you're right, we all totally have those days."

Suddenly Claus's feeble laughter froze, and his eyes widened in realization. "Wait a minute."

Lucas tried not to look anxious. "C-Claus?" he stammered. "Is something wrong?"

"Oh, hell yes!"

Lucas internally winced. "I-I don't know what you're talking about-" he managed to say before Claus interrupted him completely.

"I lost Ninten's History textbook!"

Lucas hid a sigh of relief. "Maybe you left it in your locker," he suggested easily.

Uttering a sound of frustration, Claus groaned. "Yeah, I think I did. Crap, and my locker's all the way on the other side of the school...Geezus, I hate this place." Kicking at a rock, Claus grunted in irritation. "Stupid, oversized buildings-"

"That's probably because our school teaches from 6th to 12th grade," Lucas suggested wisely.

"A shitty idea, if you ask me." Claus paused absentmindedly. "Listen, Lucas, I'm gonna head back and grab my textbook. I know we're like thirty minutes early today, but if you head to class, I'll catch you in a bit, okay?"

A wave of pure panic seized Lucas's heart. "Right now?"

"Don't worry! It'll-be-quick-I-promise-I'll-be-right-back!" Claus yelled hurriedly, abruptly dashing off into the opposite direction.

"Wait, Claus-" Lucas started, but his twin had already disappeared. "...nevermind," Lucas muttered.

The dead silence was frightening, sending shivers down Lucas's spine. His sneakers squeaked rather loudly against the faded tiles, and the dark, gaping ceiling loomed over his tiny sixth grade form. Overhead, light fixtures flickered uneasily, sending too tall shadows shifting and dancing around his feet, and the empty windows leered unpleasantly as his reflection passed by.

Never had Lucas felt so small and so alone. As Lucas plodded down towards the empty hallway in rising anxiety, careful eyes darting back and forth for any sign of sudden movement, he gripped his arm cast tightly to his chest.

"Come on, Claus," he muttered, picking at the holes in his rather bothersome cast. It was clean and devoid of any marks, save for Claus's signature. The warm, green ink glowed faintly in the dark, and despite his trepidation, Lucas felt his breath ease slightly in comfort.

Not too long afterwards, footsteps sounded behind him. "Claus," Lucas said in relief, turning his head. "Did you find your-"

Lucas froze, recognizing the pair of boys in front of him.

"Well, well, well, look who we have here!" Pokey guffawed sarcastically, pointing a meaty arm in Lucas's direction. "If it isn't the school's _Singing Sensation_!"

Lucas's breath leaped into his throat. He tried to back away, but collided back first into the wall; he was trapped.

"Oh man, you're right!" Orange Kid leered unpleasantly, wiping his scrawny hands onto his shirt. His pockets jingled merrily with coins he had scammed off from other fellow sixth graders. Orange Kid was well-known for stealing lunch money off some poor, unsuspecting student, and often offered to trade wondrous "inventions" in return that usually ended up doing more harm than good. However, no one had ever dared to snitch on him; his father was a wealthy politician whom many parents - including the school administration - were unwilling to cross.

In three words: Lucas was screwed.

Something hard bounced off his head, jolting the blond back into awareness.

"Hey, dummy, pay attention! We're talking to you!" Orange Kid called out in a nasty, nasally voice, tossing another orange back and forth with his hands. Winding his arm back like a coiled spring, Orange Kid began to pelt him with his namesake fruits. Scrunching his eyes closed against the rotten fruit, Lucas stood silently, receiving the blows to his pride.

_Splat. "_Girl!"

_Splat. _"Crybaby!"

_Splat. "_Gay freak!_"_

Emphasizing each rotten orange with a degrading word, the duo howled out in barking laughter, amusing themselves in playing this inhumane game.

The sickly-sweet, overripe juice splattered against Lucas's shirt in a gooey mess, dripping off his face and oozing onto his skin in sticky clumps of wet pulp. As the two boys took savage enjoyment of his obvious discomfort, the poor blond quietly tried to wipe the orange stains from his shirt in burning humiliation, blinking away the tears that had sprung into his eyes.

But his tormentors weren't quite finished yet. Orange Kid paused, his eyes roaming over the arm cast Lucas was hiding protectively behind his back. First disbelief, then savage glee filled his features. "Hey, look!" The rich boy shrieked shrilly, jabbing out his thumb. "He's got an arm cast!"

Pokey's eyes traveled to his injured appendage. "You have an arm cast?!" he blurted out, his expression of sheer disbelief quickly transforming to a derisive scoff. "How gay is that?"

Cheeks burning in shame, Lucas tried to hide it behind his back, but Pokey swatted his hand away and roughly dragged him closer by his injured arm.

"Let me go!"

Ignoring Lucas's cries of pain, Pokey yanked the broken arm level to his sneering gaze. "Aww, dude, he's such a gay freak that his brother's the only one who signed his cast!"

"What a loser!"

"Well then, I wanna sign it too." Pokey's smirk widened savagely. "You don't mind if do, don't you, dipshit? I mean, I really should take credit for my own work," he added with a leer.

Swaggering over Lucas's frightened form, Pokey's eyes flickered over to his partner in crime. "Hold him down."

Struggling, Lucas opened his mouth to protest, but Orange Kid had already pinned him onto the ground, one knee painfully digging into his back and pulling back his unbroken arm. Lucas yelled out in pain, feeling his arm flare up from unwanted strain.

"Hey, loser, why don't you sing us a pretty little song while we're at it?" Orange Kid puckered up his lips, then warbled a tune off-key in cheap falsetto. Pokey guffawed loudly, wrenching Lucas's arm cast over with little care. As the bigger boy viciously yanked at his cast, Lucas could feel his collar bone twisting into an unnatural angle.

"Stop it! Please, it hurts!" Lucas shrieked, desperately trying to loosen his arm from Pokey's grip. But Pokey roughly slammed the cast back onto the floor with an elbow, his other hand busily fumbling for the Sharpie in his pocket. The lid shot loose with a loud _pop. _Uncapping the tip, Pokey paused, thoughtfully tapping the pen to the tip of his voluminous chin.

"Oh man, I can't decide what to write. Hey, Blondie, d'you prefer 'crybaby,' or 'gay freak'?"

"Write down both!" Orange Kid cackled, still restraining the poor boy onto the ground. He pointed in disgust. "See? He's crying again!"

There was a minor scuffle as Pokey viciously seized Lucas's hair by the roots, then shoved his face into the tiled floor.

"Wha'ssamatter, crybaby? You scared?" Pokey hissed venomously. His mocking voice slowly devolved into a cruel, savage chant. "_Cry, cry, cry!_"

Despite his best efforts, hot tears ran freely from Lucas's eyes, pooling onto the floor. "Don't," he choked, slumping against the ground. "Please, I'm sorry..."

Both of them shrieked in laughter. The cacophonous sync grated unpleasantly on their ears.

"Listen to the gay freak beg!" Orange Kid gasped, feeling tickled with glee. "This is priceless!"

Pokey's eyes lit up savagely. "Let's start with that one first," he laughed, setting the tip of the permanent marker onto the cast. "Gay fr-"

"WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!"

The scream jolted them out of their senses. Suddenly, all heads snapped towards the source in shock.

Claus's face was a blotchy purple, icy eyes blazing in unimaginable fury. Ninten and Ness flanked his side, looking positively horrified at the scene in front of them.

Immediately the two troublemakers hastily stumbled backwards.

Ness's eyes were wide in shock. "Pokey, you...!"

Fumbling with the cap of the black Sharpie, Pokey quickly stuffed it back into his pocket. "Ness, keep your fat nose out of this," he spat. "This isn't what it looks like-"

Ness's face immediately hardened. "You've got the nerve to bully someone two to one," he ground out, violet eyes flashing dangerously. "Let him go, Pokey."

Pokey's features knitted together into an ugly sneer. "Why should I listen to _you_? _You're_ a bigger freak than _he _is," Pokey emphasized cruelly, kicking Lucas with a swift blow to the ribs. The younger blond let out a gurgled gasp of pain, and Orange Kid let out another high-pitched cackle.

That was the final straw. "YOU BROKE HIS ARM, DIDN'T YOU?" Claus screamed, running forward and grabbing Orange Kid by the scruff of his shirt. "YOU COWARDLY ASSHOLES!"

"It wasn't me, it was him!" Orange Kid shrieked, paling rapidly. "Oh gods, I didn't do anything, I swear! Please don't hurt me-"

"MAYBE YOU SHOULD'VE THOUGHT ABOUT THAT _BEFORE_ YOU BEAT THE CRAP OUT OF MY BROTHER!" Claus snarled, clenching his tightened fist.

Pokey was many things, but he wasn't stupid. "Holy shit, I'm outta here!" he spat hastily, backing away to flee.

"OH, NO YOU DON'T!" Ness suddenly roared, chasing after him in hot pursuit. "WE'RE NOT FINISHED YET, POKEY!"

"Ness, wait! CALM DOOOOOWN!" Ninten yelped, running frantically at his heels. The three of them rounded the corner and disappeared out of sight.

Back in the empty hallway, Orange Kid struggled pathetically in Claus's iron-grip. "M-My father's rich," he stammered, eyes bulging in terror. "You wouldn't dare-"

"SCREW YOU AND YOUR MONEY!"

"I'll sue you!" Orange Kid shrieked in desperation.

"Oh, yeah?" Claus laughed darkly. "My family's dirt poor, and my life's already shit, so you can't make my life shittier than it is, dumbass!" Claus readied himself to punch this sorry excuse of a bully into pulp. "WHY, YOU THINK I'M JOKING?!" Claus screamed furiously. "GO AHEAD, I DARE YOU! SUE ME, YOU LITTLE PIECE OF-"

Claus froze when someone stopped his fist in mid-air. Snarling, he turned around to scream his fury at whoever had dared to stop his angry tirade. "WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU WANT?!"

Almost immediately, Claus blanched, rearing back as he came face-to-face with his own brother.

"Claus, don't do this," Lucas pleaded quietly. Sticky orange pulp matting his shirt and hair in a disheveled mess, the blond weakly cradled his cast to his chest. "You're not like them."

Claus only stared back, torn in a mix of wild fury and shock. In his grip, Orange Kid whimpered piteously, looking as though he was about to wet his pants in fear. But after an eternity of hesitation, Claus reluctantly released his grip, lowering the terrified boy down.

"You're lucky that my brother's nice to everyone, even to assholes like you," Claus snarled.

Not that Orange Kid was even listening. As soon as his feet touched the ground, the bully instantly scrambled away for dear life, completely terrified out of his own wits.

Claus stared at his retreating form with a look of disgust. "…I should've punched him in the face. Just once."

"You did the right thing," Lucas said softly.

Not too long later, Ness and Ninten returned to the scene of crime.

"I can't believe it was Pokey," Ness finally spoke, crossing his arms to hide his shaking palms. His voice cracked, sounding unusually strained. "Lucas, I can't believe he's been the one bullying you after school..."

Claus scowled, turning around to face the wall. "If he messes with us again...I'll...I'll…I can't forgive him," he managed to say, hot anger boiling through his veins. "Pokey's dead meat."

"Forget about Pokey. Like, holy crap, Lucas," Ninten broke out, weakly rubbing at his eyes. "Why did you hide this from us?"

Flushing in shame, Lucas stared at his shoes, refusing to meet their eyes. "I'm sorry," he said quietly.

Claus reached for his cast in concern. "Did they hurt you?"

Backing away, Lucas laughed weakly. "Claus, I'm fine-"

But that was when Claus had caught the hem of Lucas's cast and turned it over. Glistening maliciously, thick, black ink branded the plaster in large, bolded letters.

**GAY**

Shock, then disbelief, then raw anger flitted across Claus's features. Simmering fury exploded once more, and Claus burst out, "Those no-good little-"

"Claus, stop," Lucas said quickly, trying to hide the cast in vain. "It's only one word-"

"What does it say?" Ness asked, frowning in concern.

Before Lucas could say anything, Ninten carefully reached for the cast and exposed the gleaming plaster into the light. As Ninten stared blankly at the filthy letters adorning the cast, Lucas felt his scrutinizing gaze sear his arm with disgust.

Timidly, Lucas shrank back in humiliation.

But Ninten said nothing, only opting to unzip his pencil bag with a free arm. Sliding out a purple marker, the Podunk boy hastily scribbled something onto the arm cast.

"There," Ninten finished cheerfully, pushing the corrected cast back towards its owner. He sounded satisfied. "Now _that_ sounds way cooler."

Lucas turned the cast over.

**HOOR ****̶** **̶****G****̶** **̶** **̶****AY**

Ness snorted in laughter.

"Ninten!" Watching his brother's unreadable expression, Claus panicked. "You idiot! Now look what you've done!" he snapped, glaring at Ninten's laughing face. "I can't believe you wrote something even more stupid than-"

"You're right, Ninten. It does sound cooler," Lucas spoke suddenly, staring at the arm cast with a strange expression on his face. "…Thanks."

Ninten grinned, flashing him two thumbs up. "You bet."

"Are you serious, Lucas?" Ness rambled in disbelief. He rushed over, almost falling head over heels in his haste. "I can totally write something way more legit than _Hooray_."

Ninten raised his eyebrows. "Oh yeah?"

"No kidding! Hey, Lucas, can I write on your cast?"

Unable to speak from the emotion clogging his throat, Lucas nodded.

"Sweet! Thanks!" Ness said brightly, furiously scribbling several well-wishes onto the plaster.

"Claus, write something!" Ninten exclaimed, pushing a handful of colorful pens into the ginger's face.

"I already-" Claus hesitated. "Oh, all right," he grumbled, selecting an orange highlighter. "I'm only doing this 'cause you guys write sucky phrases."

"There's no time to waste, Claus!" Ninten announced gleefully. He flicked the bill of his hat up in playful determination. "We need to hog up as much space as we can before class starts, 'cause I bet everyone'll want to sign Lucas's cast!"

As Lucas watched his posse of odd friends grumble, bicker, and spout silly, stupid things to each other, warm gratitude seeped into his throat. He really was lucky to have the bestest of best friends in the world.

And nothing was ever going to change that.

* * *

><p><span><strong>Present<strong>**:**

_Clickity-clackity-clickity-clackity-_

The legs of the coffee table clapped loudly against the rocky strata. In a fluid motion, it scaled down cliffs and galloped across the uneven mountain slopes.

But none of its riders paid attention to the noise of travel.

Sprawled in the middle of the table, Ninten murmured feverish statements from time to time. Often, there was the occasional cry for water, only to be broken by long periods of stretched silence.

At the very back, Ness sat with his back turned. He stared into the horizon with a far-away gaze, even though the lofty mountainsides had long covered the city from view. A certain wistfulness entered his glazed eyes.

And of course, there was Claus. Never still, his icy blue eyes flickered over his blurred surroundings, darted over frozen rocks and the gurgling streams, then like a magnet, gravitated over to his brother in a look of deep concern.

Sensing his prickling stare, Lucas lifted his head to meet his brother's gaze.

Instantly, Claus averted his eyes.

Feeling both relieved and disappointed, Lucas resumed watching the clouds float overhead.

The blond knew he owed them all a few explanations: what happened back in the research facility, where they were headed, how he knew the Mr. Saturn. Lucas could sense Claus's unspoken thoughts simmering in the air around him, compressing around his head like a dense cloud of questions.

But nevertheless, the silent accusation prickled his skin.

_What else are you hiding from us, Lucas?_

Half of the problem was that Lucas had never been much of a talker to begin with. He usually left that role to Claus, only stepping in to speak when necessary.

…Then there were the hallucinations.

Contrary to what Ness and Claus had believed, Lucas was beginning to remember what had happened during his drug-induced state. Faded memories slowly trickled in with clarity, and each fresh recollection weighed shame and more shame upon his weather-beaten form.

Eyeing his hands in self-disgust as though they were horribly diseased, Lucas resisted the urge to dig his nails into his skin out of despair.

_Lucas._ The blond flinched as his brother's telepathic voice spoke in his head. _Is something wrong?_

As usual, his brother was always two steps ahead, easily recognizing his younger sibling's discomfort. Claus's voice sounded oddly concerned.

Claus would do anything for him.

But Lucas didn't understand. He'd attacked his brother, and family didn't attack each other. How could Claus care for someone like him?

He didn't deserve a brother like Claus.

"Lucas, are you feeling woozy?"

In shame, Lucas lowered his eyes, unable to meet his brother's gaze. Feeling like he was going to throw up if he opened his mouth, Lucas clamped down and wordlessly shook his head.

"Your face looks green." Claus reached out a hand to test his clammy skin, and startled by the sudden gesture, Lucas violently jerked his head up, narrowly missing his brother's face by inches.

Awful whispers flashed through his mind.

_I died. You knew I was going to die, but you never bothered to tell me, did you?"_

Lucas flinched away from his touch.

"Lucas, what's wrong?!" Claus asked, sounding incredibly worried. "You haven't said a word since this morning, and it's really starting to freak me out!"

Clear panic blatantly showed in his brother's voice, and Lucas felt horribly guilty. "I...I-I'm..."

_I'm fine._

But everything wasn't fine. Everything wasn't fine, and Lucas couldn't bear the guilt of lying to his brother any longer. "I don't understand," he started quietly. "Why aren't you mad at me?"

Claus jolted up in surprise. "Why would I be mad at you?"

"I remember everything, Claus."

Confusion slowly dawned into realization. Claus's face blanched a sickly gray. Eyes darting around wildly, the older twin swallowed loudly, then let out a feeble laugh. "Lucas, you don't know what you're talking about-"

"I'm not lying."

Claus turned quiet. "What do you remember?"

"Not much. Everything still feels fuzzy…" Lucas scrunched his eyes shut. "I attacked you back in the facility," he admitted quietly, feeling a pang of pain. "I said _things_...things that were really personal to Ninten, to Ness...to you…"

"It really wasn't that bad," Claus said loudly, trying to reassure him. "We were a little, uh, worried about you, but Lucas, no one honestly gave a fuck-"

"You don't have to lie, Claus." Lucas quietly picked at his fingernails. "Every time I try to help, I always mess something up. Something always goes wrong. Sometimes, I wonder why I even bother trying...and I'm sorry, Claus. I really am."

Claus fell silent. Taking a glance at Ness, who still seemed zoned out, Claus lowered his voice into a murmur.

"Lucas," he said quietly. "Whatever happened back in the facility isn't your fault." Blue eyes reflected his in utter seriousness. "You know why?"

Feeling so much like a small child, Lucas shook his head.

"We found you with Ninten," Claus broke out. His face looked weary. "Sure, you were high and that made you do all sorts wonky stuff, but you still managed to keep yourselves safe. Like, seriously, Lucas, I know you make me out to be all strong and stuff-"

"It's true," Lucas mumbled.

"But honestly, it's all a lie if you ask me," Claus finished quietly. "You're patient. You're thoughtful. I know I might not listen to you all the time, but you're always there to stop me from doing something stupid."

"You'd do the same for me."

"That's not what I mean, Lucas. It's not easy to do the right thing. That takes true guts. Heck, like, true _man_-guts. So stop calling yourself a useless crybaby, because you're not." Claus's eyes softened. "If anyone's gotta apologize, it's me. If I hadn't been stupid enough to get detention, we would've been safe at home, but _no_, I just had to open my big, fat mouth in class, and look where we are now. Score." Claus laughed helplessly. "Forgive your hasty brother, will you, Lucas?"

"Claus, it wasn't your fault; it was mine-"

"Oh my god, Lucas, if you finish that finish that sentence I swear I'm gonna push you off this coffee table, twin or not."

Lucas's lips quirked into a smile, weary eyes lighting up in warmth. "Fine, I won't." A pause. "Let's just say it was no one's fault."

"You're darn right. It was no one's fault," Claus laughed, looking surprisingly gentle. Under the wavy stream of sunlight, his sarcastic features softened, and in that moment, he looked so much like his younger brother.

"...Claus?"

"Yeah?"

Lucas fixed his unusually over-bright eyes onto his. "We're gonna survive this together, right? Swear you won't die?"

Claus rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Lucas, I'll be _fine,_" he smirked, bopping Lucas on the nose. "Worrywart."

But even with Claus's light-hearted teasing, Lucas still looked unusually grave. "Right, I know, maybe I'm being silly again...but it's just this really bad feeling I have..."

All laughter gone, Claus frowned. "What do you mean?"

Lucas didn't elaborate. "I'm serious, Claus. If something dangerous ever happens, don't worry about me, and save yourself." A solemn plea. "Promise me."

"But-"

"I mean it."

"...Lucas, you can't honestly be serious," Claus said in exasperation, but Lucas's stern look didn't waver.

"Trust me, Claus. Trust me to hold my own weight," Lucas said quietly. He rubbed his arms uneasily, then took a shaky breath. "I'm not saying you can't help me, but I need to learn how to stand up for myself. Without you, without Ness, without Ninten. I want to be strong, and I want to prove it to myself. It's not going to be easy, Claus, but can you do that for me?"

Taken aback by the serious request, Claus stared at his twin in disbelief.

_What the hell, Lucas?! I can't do that!_ Claus wanted to shout. _How do you expect me to ignore you if you're in danger, goddamnit?_

But Lucas looked so hopeful that Claus didn't have the heart to turn him down.

"All right," Claus lied. Remembering the oath he had sworn with Ness, Claus felt his guilt dig in deeper into his heart. "I'll just do stuff and...whatever," he mumbled.

To his surprise, Lucas suddenly threw his arms tightly around his neck.

"Thanks, Claus," he whispered. When Lucas finally pulled away, Claus realized that his brother's wide eyes were shining with utmost gratitude. "You don't know how much your trust means to me."

_Oh, shit._ Claus winced, mentally restraining himself not to stand up right now, raise his palm, and confess everything. "Uh, yeah, that's great."

Forcing himself to sound grumpy, Claus coughed. Loudly.

"Lucas, can you, you know, get your arms off my neck?" he grunted. "Forget about me not dying; you're kinda starting to choke me here."

As Claus had predicted, Lucas turned red-faced in embarrassment, then quickly released his grip. "O-Oh, right. Sorry."

Claus smirked. "You're such a treehugger."

That retort earned him a smack on the arm, and Claus cackled with glee.

Lucas made a face. "Claus, you're so immature."

"I'm the most immature prick in the society of immature pricks," Claus agreed proudly. "And you can't ever change tha-" His face suddenly morphed into a look of utmost horror. "HOLY SHIT!" he shrieked, jabbing a finger into the air. "IS THAT A METEOR?"

Ness's head snapped over in their direction. "What's going-WOAH!" Ness shouted in shock, then gestured violently to the side. "LUCAS," he screeched. "HARD RIGHT, HARD RIGHT!"

Fear stabbing through his veins, the blond desperately yanked at the head of the coffee table. Like a horse, the table responded, feet clopping faster in an uneven tempo.

"Oh shit, Oh shit, OH SHIT!"

"It's gonna hit us!" Ness panicked.

"AHHHHHH!" All of them screamed. That is, all of them except for Ninten, who was still conveniently knocked out and blissfully unaware of their impending doom.

The meteor of light narrowly missed their faces by inches, almost grazing the coffee table before flattening itself to the side of the mountain with a _KA-BLAAAAM!_

The resulting crash clashed loudly in their ears like a giant's handclap. As the meteor fiercely exploded into a huge, smoking crater of blinding light, the resulting tremors violently racked through the land. Terrified forest animals broke out into a cacophonic symphony of squeaks as they fled the scene of impact.

Jarred from the impact, all four teens stumbled off the coffee table, falling flat onto the ground.

"Is everyone all right?" Lucas asked, shakily lifting himself to his feet.

"Yeah," Claus managed, dragging Ninten onto his back. "But I repeat, what the hell was that?"

As one, all of their eyes flickered to the still-smoking crater.

"Let's find out," Ness said, swinging his legs over a tree trunk and carefully entering the steamy gloom.

Magical mist curled around their toes.

As they wandered closer to the point of impact, Ness felt the hairs on his arms stiffen uncomfortably. A massive aftershock of energy echoed through his body in weak waves, causing his PSI to fizzle crazily and spark on its own accord.

Lucas's hand accidently brushed against his brother's.

Claus flinched.

"Sorry," Lucas muttered, recoiling from the stinging static electricity.

Suddenly, a strange, disembodied voice erupted into the air. "This is Commander Nu signing in. Please respond. Over and out. Ten-four, landing successful. I repeat, this is Commander Nu signing in, Commander Nu signing in."

"D-Do you guys see anyone?" Ness coughed, waving the smoke from his eyes.

Through watery eyes, Claus was about to respond negative until a flicker of motion caught his eye. He blinked once.

Twice.

"Ohhhkay, I think I'm officially dreaming," Claus said flatly, then pinched his arm.

It hurt like heck.

And it also did nothing to disprove the talking speck of light furiously bobbing up and down in front of their faces.

"Copy that, Alpha," The fairy-man(?) announced in an authoritative voice. "We might've overshot the targeted wormhole by a few minutes thanks to your massive power surge, but no sweat. We have T Minus 45 seconds before communication is disrupted permanently."

A pause.

"Unforeseeable complications with the warp pad? What the hell do you mean there were unforeseeable complications with the warp pad?"

Another pause.

"WHAT THE BLAZES?" the speck suddenly shrieked. "I'VE BEEN SHRUNK TO THE SIZE OF A BEE?! You had ONE job, Lambda, ONE JOB! I told you to rip open the space-time distortion to the size of a bee, AND YOU SHRUNK _ME_ TO THE SIZE OF A BEE?!"

And yet another pause. "Haha, very _punny_, Theta," Fairy-man said sarcastically, narrowing his eyes in irritation. "Geezus, if you make fun of my buzzcut again, you'd better hope that Giygas kills you first, because forget about the theory of quantum mechanics - I'm going to tear open the time portal with my fists AND THROTTLE YOU WITH MY BARE HANDS!"

They heard howling laughter on the other side of the phone.

"You're all fired," the figure said flatly, then the line died with a beep.

As if noticing his uninvited guests, Fairy-man cocked his eyebrows. "I know you're hiding!" he snapped, glaring at the three stunned teens. "And if you even think about blasting me to smithereens, you can kiss your sorry asses goodbye!"

"You don't work for Giygas, do you?" Lucas asked hesitantly.

The mysterious stranger grunted. Through the empathy link, they felt his simmering annoyance flicker ever-so-slightly. "Lucas. Do I really _sound _like I work for Giygas?"

Lucas blinked in surprise. "You know my name?"

"I know all your names. That guy next to you is Claus, your dorky twin brother; over there's Ness, baseball extraordinaire; and then you have Mr. I'm-as-knocked-out-as-fuck Ninten." Fairy-man furrowed his eyebrows. "Give me a break; he's knocked out again?"

"W-Who are you?" Ness stammered. "And how do you know our names?"

"That's not important right now."

"Why not?" Claus asked suspiciously.

"Because if you don't step forward in the next ten seconds, you're all gonna die from falling debris."

Immediately, they hastily hurried forwards, dragging Ninten's limp form with them. As if on cue, a tree, weakened from the collision of the meteor, smashed right where they had been standing.

"H-How?" Ness managed to say, staring at the flattened trunk in disbelief.

Fairy-man grunted. "Trust me, you don't know half the things I've gone through, Ness." A moment of hesitation. "Call me Buzz-Buzz," the figure sighed impatiently. "Local time traveler, Commander of the Resistance, and full-time smartass at your service."

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Claus furrowed his eyebrows. "Why the hell are you _here_?" he demanded. He studied the speck skeptically. "Because I'm dead sure that it's not coincidence."

BuzzBuzz deadpanned. "I'm your fairy god-mother."

"No, you're not!"

BuzzBuzz sighed, shaking his head. "Fuck, was I this whiny when I was your age?"

"Excuse me if I want an explanation, BuzzBuzz!" Claus snapped. "You nearly smashed in our faces with a meteorite two seconds ago!"

"Sure, sure," BuzzBuzz said impatiently. "But we'd better scram; this was a pretty big blast of PSI. Starmen might be on our trail any minute."

Claus looked like he was going to argue, but Lucas hurriedly stepped on his foot. "Sounds good," he said quickly, clambering onto the Mr. Saturn Coffee Table. In mere seconds, they departed, galloping over the horizon with a sound of echoing wood.

"Are you guys heading to Saturn Valley?" BuzzBuzz cut in, carefully studying the tell-tale symbols on the table.

"Maybe." Ness narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "But we're not telling you anything until you tell us what's going on."

"Are you frickin' _serious_?!"

The three teens glared at him in response, and BuzzBuzz sighed. "I suppose I do owe you all an explanation. It'd be stupid to assume otherwise."

BuzzBuzz stared into the sky. The sunlight dramatically etched shadows on his tiny face. "I come from ten years in the future to fight for an ultimate cause. My mission?" His face turned haggard.

"To save your lives and stop Giygas from destroying Planet Earth."

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

After almost meeting his demise by flying meteorite and receiving free life insurance from a buff fairy-man, Ness thought he had seen enough of the strange-and-totally-weird for one day.

He was most unfortunately wrong.

"Who are _they_?" Ness gaped, watching the two-footed, big-nosed…_things…_walk around in their equally strange-looking village.

Clambering off the coffee table, BuzzBuzz capped his laser holster. "That is a Mr. Saturn, resident of Saturn Valley," he said bluntly. "This is the safest place on Earth. The concavity of the valley and configuration of the land deflects any radio waves, hereby rendering this place nonexistent."

The teens stared at him stupidly.

BuzzBuzz sighed. "We're practically undetectable."

"Thank you, Mr. Genius," Claus muttered sarcastically under his breath. "...What a show off."

BuzzBuzz frowned. "I've forgotten how annoying you could get."

Claus snorted. "Why? Am I still an asshole in the future?"

Surprisingly, BuzzBuzz declined comment. "Oh, look," the speck said sullenly, directing their attention to the village inhabitants. "They've noticed us."

"Are they dangerous?" Ness asked warily.

"Dangerous?" BuzzBuzz snorted. "They're as harmless as you can get." He jerked his head towards Lucas. "Ask him."

Two pairs of eyes studied the nervous blond.

"Lucas?" Claus asked, eyes flitting back and forth. "You still haven't told us how you met the Mr. Saturn-"

**"Friend Lucas here! BOING!"**

They looked down. A Mr. Saturn peered up happily, bouncing on its toes. **"Dakota."**

"It's nice to see you too," Lucas greeted kindly; the Mr. Saturn's happiness was infectious. _I'll tell you later,_ the blond mouthed to his disgruntled brother.

The Mr. Saturn noticed the other people standing around him. Suddenly, it broke out into a loud, excited scream.

**"FRIEND LUCAS BRING FRIENDS!"**

As if on cue, the Mr. Saturns immediately dropped what they were doing, and charged over to their visitors in a giant, joyful crowd of big noses and stubby feet.

**"FRIENDS!"**

"Oh my go-" Claus managed to say before they were completely swarmed over by their newest fans.

"Acckpth- That tickles!" Ness laughed, feeling one climbing on top of his hair.

**"Smells funny." **A sniff. **"Pee-U. Hot spring?"**

"Maybe later," Lucas said, struggling to drag himself out of the pile of Mr. Saturns. "One of my friends needs medical treatment-"

**"Am Doctor Saturn," **One clamored, drawing himself up proudly. He peered over them importantly. **"No worry. Go to hot spring."**

"But-"

"Go to the hot spring," BuzzBuzz abruptly interrupted, finally drawing himself out of a serious conversation with another Mr. Saturn. Somehow, he had managed to avoid being run over by the over-excited stampede.

"But Ninten needs PK Healing-" Ness said weakly, struggling to his feet.

"That's not a problem. I know PSI. I'll keep an eye out for him in the village." BuzzBuzz sighed. "By the way, you three should really get going. The Mr. Saturn consider rejection a serious offense to the quality of their hospitality."

Claus narrowed his eyes. "I don't trust you."

"Good, you're not supposed to," BuzzBuzz said flatly. "Look, the hot springs are literally right up _there_," he said in exasperation, jabbing a finger up at the ladders. "If anything funny happens, you'll be on higher ground."

"So?"

"Haven't you ever studied war, Claus?" BuzzBuzz snapped. "Not that I am, but say that I really was a traitor sent to infiltrate your side. Do you honestly think I'd do my dirty business in a tactically disadvantageous location?"

Claus hesitated. Immediately, his gaze flickered to consult his uncertain comrades.

_What should we do? _Claus asked._ I don't want to leave Ninten alone with some random weirdo we just met._

_Neither do I, _Ness said grimly. _BuzzBuzz clearly knows more than lets on._

_But the Mr. Saturns trust him. _Lucas glanced over the group of Mr. Saturn who were playfully climbing into a ladder. _That's gotta mean something, right?_

_Lucas, as much as you like the Mr. Saturn, you need to remember that they're not really human. They might not think in the same way we do_, Claus argued._ What makes you think that they'll stop __BuzzBuzz __if he, I don't know, really ends up double-crossing us?_

_But we shouldn't risk offending the Mr. Saturn. If they get mad, we'll be badly outnumbered, _Lucas pointed out.

_What, mad? The Mr. Saturns? _Claus snorted. _If you mean mad, like loony, then you've got a point, but face it, Lucas: these things look completely harmless._

_But we don't know for sure, _Ness finally broke in. He hesitated. _Claus, we have our telepathy. The Hot Springs are right above the village. If anything happens, we'll definitely know for sure. And worst-case scenario, BuzzBuzz will be outnumbered._

_We'll check on Ninten right afterwards, _Lucas added firmly.

With a reluctant sigh, Claus cut himself from the mental conversation. "Fine," he grumbled.

BuzzBuzz rolled his eyes. "About time. You guys go rest." He wrinkled his nose. "And you really do need a bath."

"Shut up," Claus muttered sullenly.

**"Hot spring?"**

"Yes, please," Lucas answered quietly, meeting Ness's worried gaze.

**"This way, this way!"**

They reluctantly allowed themselves to be led off the pathway. The last thing they saw was the horde of Mr. Saturns carrying Ninten off with a grim BuzzBuzz flying overhead.

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

Ness considered himself a rather sloppy person in terms of hygiene. Hell, he'd dress in an old, scraggly t-shirt and pair of sweaty, yesterday's jeans off from the floor if his mom didn't force him to wear something more appropriate for school.

But geezus, in the name of all things holy, the Hot Spring was a godsend.

Considering what he and his friends had been through the past week, it wasn't difficult for Ness to imagine why.

A week's worth of wet mud and machine oil squelched unpleasantly between their toes. Dried sweat and grime littered their foreheads, armpits, and other unmentionable places in a slimy, greasy filth. And to add to the queasiness, all of them had been wearing the same, squalid clothes since Day One of their escapade.

Including their undergarments.

So it was with an overwhelming sensation of relief when Ness stripped off his clothes and settled into the hot spring. Lucas and Claus followed shortly after, and the three of them immediately went to work, furiously scrubbing off the grime from their skin. The hot, steamy water soothed their stiff, aching muscles and washed away the kinks in their bones.

A Mr. Saturn hurried over, balancing the dirty piles of clothes on its head. "**Clean and return. Make shiny."**

Lucas started. "Oh, you don't have to-"

But the Mr. Saturn was gone. Such were their gracious hosts.

On another time, Ness was sure that all of them might have been rather embarrassed with the awkward proceedings, but at this point, none of them cared. They were all worn out, and a relaxing bath seemed like the best idea in the world. The only damper ruining their pleasant train of thought was Ninten's absence, but all of them hoped that he would be okay. The Mr. Saturn seemed to know what they were doing.

At least, Ness certainly thought so. From his view above, Saturn Valley was littered with strange devices and technological advances that would make Jeff scream like a fangirl.

In fact, as soon as the Mr. Saturn ushered them into an empty dwellings for their extended stay, Ness found himself face-to-face with a very familiar device.

"I asked for a phone," Claus clarified, drying the water off his face with a towel. "It's been a while since we've talked to our parents."

Something sounded slightly off in Claus's unusually-casual tone.

Ness wasn't fooled. "What's the catch?"

Lucas traced the antique, old-fashioned black dial phone with his blue eyes. "The wireless system's down," he elaborated quietly. "The Mr. Saturn gave us this back-up, but it can only handle one call because it's so old."

They glanced at each other.

Lucas nodded. "Ness, you should call your mom. She's probably really worried about you."

"No," Ness responded stubbornly. "What about you guys?"

Lucas and Claus shared one of those "twin telepathy" glances. "Our dad can wait," Lucas sighed, running his hand through his messy hair. "He's been through worse before."

"And don't worry about Ninten," Claus added. "You said his parents know about PSI. They'll understand."

"But-"

"Call her," Claus cut off bluntly, eying him with a look - Ness could almost see the memory of last night running through his brain. "You need this more than we do. We'll catch you later."

Almost shoving the phone into his hands, Claus quickly dragged Lucas off before any of them could change their minds. Ness could tell how much the twins had wanted to call Flint, but as much as he hated to admit it, they were right: his homesickness was only going to hold them all back.

As Ness fiddled with the black, spiral phone cord, he wondered who to call.

Of course, the first person who obviously came into mind was his mother. It wasn't for a good reason that Tracy always teased him for being "a momma's boy," and by the gods, Ness desperately missed speaking to her so much that it hurt.

But on the other hand, Ness knew how easily she'd freak out over his safety, and he had never been the best liar to date. Heck, he didn't even know how to start the conversation.

_Hi mom! My Calculus teacher went all psycho on us, so we're stranded in the middle of nowhere, and he might show up hollering bloody murder. But don't worry, I can conjure magic fire powers from my toenails! Call you later!_

Yep, not a good idea. And if his mother tried to find him after he told her the truth...Ness winced. He had a feeling this journey was far from over, and it was only going to get even more dangerous from now. The last thing Ness wanted to do was pull his family into mortal peril.

Conflicted, Ness bit his lip, glancing every now and then at the phone sitting idly on the bench. But finally, he made up his mind, and silently dialed the phone.

_Ring._

_Ring._

_Click. _"Hello, this is Onett Enterprises, how may I help you?"

"Hey, dad."

A stunned pause. "Nessie? Is that you, champ?!"

"Yeah." For some reason, Ness felt his throat constrict. He blinked rapidly, struggling not to cry. "It's me."

Stunned silence, then a loud clatter as his father dropped the smart phone in shock. However, there was a crackle as the device was scooped up, then Ness's ears were bombarded with his father's worried questions.

Was he kidnapped? Was he hurt? Was he alone? Did he have enough money?

"Everything's fine, dad," Ness said thickly, trying not to break down. He had to be brave for his parents; his father had enough on his plate without worrying about Ness's own safety. "Lots of stuff happened, but yeah, I'm okay."

"Are you _sure_ everything's okay?" A hasty rustle of a coat. "Jumping jeepers, Nessie, tell me where you are, and I'll pick you up-"

"Dad, it's okay. Really. I can't return to the city right now, but-"

"YOU'RE NOT IN THE CITY?!"

Oops.

"Like I said, stuff happened," Ness broke in with a sigh. "Dad, I'm okay. Trust me. I swear I'll tell you everything later."

His father paused. "I see. A man's got to do what a man's got to do, huh?"

"Yeah."

"Well, okay..." his father cleared his throat awkwardly. "I dunno how much it'll help, but I'll put some money into your bank account. You have your ATM card with you, right?"

Ness laughed quietly. He doubted an ATM card would help him where he was going, but Ness didn't have the heart to tell him otherwise. "Yeah."

"Call home whenever you want - uh right, you left your cell at home...Well, try to call whenever you can."

"'kay." Ness felt like his eyes were stinging like sandpaper with every second that passed.

"...And champ?"

"...Yeah?"

"You work real hard, Nessie. Just like your mother. Sometimes, I think you work too hard for your own good," his father said quietly. "But you gotta take it easy. I don't know what's going on, but I'm gonna trust your word on this, man-to-man. Okay? I'm gonna trust you on this, champ."

"Thanks, dad." Gods, now Ness's own voice was _cracking-_

"Stay safe, Nessie. Your mom and I...whatever happens, just know that we're proud of you, okay?"

The dam finally broke.

To his eternal embarrassment, Ness broke down and started crying awful, rib-racking sobs. Horrified by his reaction, Ness tried to calm himself, but only ended up crying harder. "Dad," he choked, feeling as if he were eleven again. "I-I'm scared, but I can't show that to m' friends, because they're obviously scared too, and I'd look weak and stupid if I'm the only one who breaks down again...a-and..."

Ness wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. "Dad, I want to go home," he said plaintively like a very small child.

"Champ, it's okay," His father interrupted in a firm, yet gentle voice. "Tell me everything from the beginning."

So Ness did. He told him everything.

He told him about his supernatural powers.

He told him about what had happened to the other PSI teens.

He told him about how Giygas had almost killed him and his friends.

Ness talked and talked until his throat felt hoarse and raw. When he finally finished his tale, the phone crackled into silence. "That's quite something, Nessie," his father admitted. "I'm not going to lie; I'm worried for you. I don't know what to make of this..._PSI_, champ. It's just..." A pause. "It's just so much to take in at once."

Ness felt his stomach sink - he hadn't ever entertained the thought that his father might not believe him. Internally cursing his stupidity, Ness swallowed hard. "...I see."

But his father continued in a firmer voice. "But listen, Ness. I trust you. I'm lending the reins to you now. You're a responsible young man, and you can get the others back safely with no problem. I know you can."

His tight heart swelled and shrank. "Thanks, dad," Ness mumbled.

"That's my boy. A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do, right? A man's gotta do what a m-man's g-g-gotta do..."

The teen thought his father's voice cracked slightly, but Ness must have been imagining it. After all, his father was an adult. And Ness knew that adults didn't cry. Real men didn't cry.

A shaky gulp, then his father's voice filtered through the receiver. "And don't worry about your mother, champ. She's got every right t' know, but I'll break the news to her easy. But I'll let her know that everything's okay."

"Thanks, dad."

"...Champ? Remember to eat, don't stay up too late, always watch out for strangers-"

"Dad," Ness said softly. "I'm okay."

"...Well...if you say so..."

An awkward silence.

"I think I'm gonna hit the hay now." A moment of sincere silence. "Miss you, dad."

"I miss you too, champ."

Finally relaxing in new-found peace, Ness clicked the phone off.

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

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.

.

Many miles away, a man in a corporate suit clutched at his smart phone as if it were a lifeline. Under the stinging fluorescent light, the poor man could only stare at the the trembling device in his shaky hands. Silent, salty tears dripped from his violet eyes, shining with utter helplessness and pain as if he had just lost his only son.

If any of his co-workers had bothered to stumble across his office in that exact moment, they might have heard him utter a strange word that sounded vaguely like a name.

"Nessie..."

But of course, that's a silly conjecture, as no one did come stumbling upon his office.

After all, adults don't cry.

Real men don't cry.

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

When he finally approached the dwelling, sad, soft music greeted his ears.

Ness remembered the context of the familiar song. The lyrics told of a man who had lost a loved one to war.

Strange. Funny. Heartrending.

In confusion, Ness opened the door, and Claus met his eye. The ginger put a finger to his own lips.

Eyes completely closed, Lucas's hands were serenely clasped over the headphones on his ears. His mouth open, the musical lyrics smoothly rolled off his tongue and danced off his lips. Lucas's breathing was calm, yet controlled; Ness could see his chest rise and fall with the changing volume. Sometimes, the blond's forehead creased with the effort of trying to hit a particularly high-pitched note, and Ness was awed by the sheer amount of concentration Lucas was putting into such a simple song.

Finally, Lucas stopped.

Ness almost reached over to shake him by the shoulder, but when he noticed that Claus had yet to move from his silent position by the windowsill, Ness paused, managing to check himself on time. He waited patiently.

His patience was well-deserved. After several seconds, Lucas finally pulled off the headphones. Claus tossed him a water bottle, which the blond caught gratefully, and as Lucas began downing its contents, Claus spoke. "You sang E sharp instead of E."

"It's that note at the beginning of the repeat, right?"

"Yeah."

"Oh no..." Lucas groaned. "I keep forgetting, don't I?"

"Hey, it's only practice." Claus smirked. "Don't sweat."

Noticing motion in the corner of his eye, Lucas finally registered Ness standing by the door. "N-Ness?" he sputtered.

"Hey."

Lucas immediately flustered. "I, I, uh, sorry if my singing bothered you. I'm done practicing now, so don't worry, I won't bother you-"

"Dude, I don't care." Ness's eyes curiously roamed over the radio. "Do you normally practice like this at home?"

"Yeah," Lucas admitted.

"He does this every day," Claus butted in, rolling his eyes. "Usually he practices, like, in the evening, but yeah, he turns on the radio and sings whatever god-awful song is playing."

"That was just _one_ time!" Lucas protested. "How was I supposed to know you hated country music?"

Claus shuddered in disgust. "To this day, I am officially scarred for life."

Lucas laughed. "Claus, I am _very_ disappointed in you," he rumbled, lowering his voice into a gruff baritone. "As a son of a farmer, you have just shamed our family. You are no longer my brother."

Irritated, Claus swatted at his foot. "Quit it."

Wide-eyed in shock, Ness threw Lucas an surprised look. "Was that your dad?"

Bashfully, Lucas rubbed the back of his neck. "Y-Yeah?"

"Your voice range is really amazing, Lucas!" Ness blurted out, looking impressed. "You can mimic people?"

The twins answered simultaneously.

"Not really," Lucas admitted.

"Hell, yes," Claus grunted. "And it's as annoying as fuck."

Lucas stuck his tongue out at his brother. "Don't worry, Ness," the blond said cheerfully. "Claus is just being a grumpy sourpuss because he doesn't want to admit how many times I tricked him by pretending to be my dad."

"I WASN'T TRICKED!"

"But really, I just sing," Lucas added. "The Mr. Saturns had a radio and headphones we could borrow, so Claus was making sure I stayed in tune."

"More like _you_ dragged _me_ over. Geezus, Lucas, you're a right pain in the ass." Claus snorted, shaking his head. "Ness, I told Lucas to give singing up a couple years ago because it was causing him problems."

Ness glanced at him curiously. "Problems?"

"Lucas sings soprano."

"So?"

Claus scowled darkly. "That's why he gets bullied a lot, Ness. Because there's always some stupid moron who thinks his singing sounds too girly or too gay or some shit."

Ness felt anger bubble up in him. "No way."

"It's really not as bad as you think," Lucas added softly, and Ness jumped; he had forgotten that the quiet blond had been there. "It sounds a lot worse than it actually is."

"That still gives them no excuse to bully you!"

"Ness-"

"That's it." Ness leaped up, looking outraged. "Who're their names? I-I'll _punch_ them in the face!"

"Hold it right there, Mr. Student Body President," Claus drawled, bored. "You should be the last person to punch someone in the face."

"What the hell, Claus!" Ness looked infuriated. "You _knew_ and you didn't do anything about it?"

Claus broke into a wicked smirk. "Who said I didn't do anything about it?"

Lucas blanched in horror. "Claus!" he broke out, scandalized. "You said you weren't going to beat any more people up!"

"Of course not!" Claus said proudly. "I hacked into their smartphones through their public media account then blackmailed them with embarrassing photos."

Both Ness and Lucas looked equally horrified.

"You did _what_ now?" Ness demanded feebly. Next to him, Lucas paled rapidly, looking like he was ready to get a heart attack at any second.

"Guys, calm down. Sheesh, I was just joking." Sighing, Claus rolled his eyes. "Honestly, I'm not _that_ evil."

"I'll say," Ness muttered under his breath.

Lucas exhaled a loud sigh of relief. "Thank god," the blond said weakly, slumping onto the floor.

Claus threw his brother an exasperated look. "Why do you always jump to the worst conclusions when it involves _me_?" he complained.

"You are a stellar hacker, Claus," Ness frowned. "I wouldn't put it past you _not_ to do that."

"Point taken."

"But we won't doubt you again," Lucas said modestly. His eyes widened at a sudden thought. "Ness, did you call your mom?"

"Yeah, I di-" Suddenly, Ness shot up from his position on the floor. "Holy crap, NINTEN! We gotta go check on him, and oh geez, I completely forgot-"

"Dude, chill. He's right there," Claus said in a bored drawl, jabbing a thumb at the back of the couch. "The Mr. Saturns wanted to keep him overnight in the hospital wing, but BuzzBuzz somehow managed to convince them otherwise."

"Where's BuzzBuzz?"

Claus closed his eyes. "I think he's in the hospital wing. His brainwaves are inactive, so he's probably sleeping."

"...Are you sure Ninten's okay?" Ness asked guiltily; he had completely forgotten about his sick friend after calling his father.

Lucas nodded reassuringly. "Don't worry, Ness. Ninten's supposed to wake up any second now..." he trailed off in concern. "We tried waking him up earlier, but he won't respond..."

Ness blinked, turning over to face the couch. "Ninten," he hissed.

No response.

"Wow. He's _really _out like a light," Ness noted, eyeing Ninten's slumbering form. If it weren't for the steady rise and fall of his chest, the pale Podunk teen resembled a healthy corpse. But it was hard to tell - Ninten _naturally _resembled a healthy corpse.

"I thought singing would've woken him up," Lucas whispered.

Ness shook his head. "You have no idea. Ninten has weird sleeping habits. He sleeps like a _truck_."

As if on cue, Ninten twitched slightly in his slumber. "No..." he mumbled. "I don't wanna play chess..."

Ness breathed out heavily in relief. "Yep. That sounds just like him." He paused. "Now all we have to do is find a way to wake him up."

Claus's eyes lit up wickedly. "Oh, don't worry," he chuckled in evil glee. "I think I know _exactly _how to wake him up..."


	20. Chapter 20

** Author's Note:**

**Heya guys!**

**Uhhhh, so...Remember when I said I was splitting Chapter 19 into two chapters because it was so long? **

**Make that three. **

**In all honesty, I wanted to post everything in one clean swoop, but there's still too much information to be stuffed into one chapter (~15,000 words) - it would definitely mess with the pacing. I apologize for the sudden structure change DX **

**I'm gonna go afk for a while. On Wednesday, I have my first midterm, but if anything, I'll post the third section of Chapter 19 on Friday. There's a particularly intricate dialogue at the end, and I want to look over it one more time. **

**Enjoy this quick-uploading(?) schedule when you can, because I might not update some of the next chapters for a while (A month maybe? Idk, it depends #premedLife). Also, after Chapter 21, we won't be seeing our fav, four protags again until Chapter 24. Chapters 22 and 23 should be refreshing changes in POV...once I get around to posting them, that is. Oops :x**

**But yeah, here's a heaping serving of pure, pretty plot and-_arrrrgh I need to go submit something for my campus paper right now catch you later!_ Thank you for your support, and as always, Happy Reading ~**

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><p><span><strong>FalconerET:<strong> Ahhh you flatter me. :) Writing's hard haha. XD But yeah, I had a LOT of fun writing last chapter...it was just a really dramatic chapter in general. And I'm glad you enjoy the flashbacks; I try to tie them into the plot of the story, but sometimes I thought they might've been boring. DX Oh, I didn't know this was the first story that used BuzzBuzz; but I'll make sure to make it the _best_. ;D And wait, I mentioned E#, but Lucas was supposed to sing E instead. I'm not sure how that would change the scale of the song though...Sorry, I'm not educated enough in music. XD

**ConnorTheSpelingPro:** Yeah, my chapters are horribly long...which is why I have to split them all the time XD And thanks, I need that luck for my ochem midterm. :) But I totally understand; I like writing about fictional characters too, because of the whole "characterization" and "world building" scenarios they offer. And as for the corruption present in the flashback...almost everything emotional in this story is based off of something in my life. I went to a public high school, and went to school with several people of high political status. Some of them were nice, but others...not quite so.

And thanks. :) There's a reason for BuzzBuzz's strong personality which we will delve into at...some point (~Chap 24-25?). And yes, glad to see you're liking the little details I add here and there. ;) And interesting idea you have about the whole *I troll everyone and Claus actually lives* theory...but as you know, we'll see. And I agree; crying is cathartic to a certain level. But I think I'm making everyone cry too much in this story, so yeah...oops. :x And I appreciate the criticism; I'll try to see what I can do about fixing character POV consistency, but as you know, Fanfic writing for me is a hobby, and unfortunately, that's the way my style goes. D: But sure! I'll fix the Mr. Saturn speech (lol sorry I killed your eyes)

**NoOneSpecial:**Bruh, your name is a misnomer. ;D But seriously, all joking aside, I really REALLY appreciate your consideration. Like really. Gosh dang it why are all my readers so conscientious asdfghj- But I can say that I'm one lucky cookie. :) And heh, who knows? Claus might not die, and I might be trolling everyone...or am I? ;D IT'S A MYSTERY

Surprisingly, I love chess. I was on a chess team when I was like, really young, so it wasn't anything legit, but yeah, bottom line: it was fun. XD But hey, checkers sounds pretty awesome too! *Sits down and starts playing with you*

**Angel-Woof: **AHHHH *Flips out* Nice to see you too, friend! :D Yeah, I know what you mean; the chapter feels incomplete, and unfortunately, it still is until next chapter. DX Sorryyyyyy But yeah, I LOVE surprising my readers. ;) Of course, I'm crossing my fingers, hoping that my surprises can actually tie back to the plot so I'm not surprising you with meaningless, incoherent snippets of text haha

Yeah; I can visualize the boys having fun writing on Lucas's cast - especially Ninten, that goofball. XD And as for why he "doesn't wanna play chess"...we'll see. ;D And as for the title of the song Lucas was singing...I actually didn't choose one. XD But if it helps, I was listening to Carrie Underwood's "Just a Dream" when writing that segment. Yeah, wow I sound like a hippy XD I listen to different kinds of music to catch the tone and mood of the story haha. And Mr. Saturns FTW! Thank you for the well-wishes, by the way. :) Congrats for actually surviving through ochem haha xD

**DarkFoxKit:**Hehehe...I wonder what Claus has in store for Ninten too... ;D And thanks; I tend to be an emotional writer (I think that's bad lol), but I'm glad you liked it. :) And oh man, who _doesn't_ love those lines? XD _Forgive your hasty brother_...and likewise, as one writer to another, I appreciate your support. :) Happy writing~

**Guest:** Haha thanks! College isn't this stressful...but I'm premed. XD But don't worry, I caught a few more Z's this weekend. :) And lol, it's okay if you laugh at the references; I actually giggled myself when I put in the _Forgive your hasty brother_ because as wonderful as the line is, it was so...cheesy as heck. Like, cheddar-cheese cheesy. And yeah, I probably exaggerated Orange Kid's personality to make it fit better for the story, but hey, that's English. XD And yes, BuzzBuzz is a _he_. At least, he is in this story. XD We'll find out why he's the way he is in...~Chapter 24-25? And hehe what subtle hints? ;D Me? Kill off Claus? We'll have to wait and see. ;D And yeah, Claus, how you gonna wake up Ninten-

And bruh, if anything, I should be thanking _you_ for reading this fic. xD Toodles~

**Plushiepaw:**YES 16 HOURS XD I'm a weirdo haha. But thank you~ But seriously, I didn't know many fics here didn't use BuzzBuzz...gosh dang it I wish I had more time to read Fanfiction T_T And yeah, with the way things are going, I don't think the boys can catch a break...or will they? ;D But yeah, you have a point; the road's only going to get tougher from here *Apologizes profusely to the characters*.

And curious, very curious conjecture you have there about the red herring. Haha can I say that like the way you try to justify it with evidence from earlier chapters (reminds me of my AP English class XD)? I don't know, maybe it's just my sleep-deprived state starting to get to me. But as always, who knows? ;D I ain't spoilin' nothin' until it happens~

**B33BeepBeepMeow:** I kno, righ'? NINTEN CHESS IS AWESOME-

...Or is it? ;D

**CrankySky:** Hmmm Ninten why you say you don't like chess? XD And BuzzBuzz WHY YOU NO ANSWER THE QUESTION-

But yeah, thanks for your consideration. :) I'm afraid that my updating might not be too consistent anymore...but as one writer to another, I really appreciate it. Thank you.

**ReaderGirl23:** Ahh stahp it, you. XD BuzzBuzz was so fun to write haha! But I know what you mean; his appearance is supposed to cause confusion because it's so random. :) But if you start feeling confused later on in the story, then yeah...please let me know. I'd be doing somethin' wrong. :(

**[Insert Appropriate Disclaimer Here]**

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><p><span><strong>Additional Disclaimer<strong>**: ...graphic horror...? **

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><p>Psychic dreams were strange distortions and representations of time.<p>

Past, present and future rapidly converged together in a blur of images to produce random snippets of visions and memories. Sometimes, Ninten had hoped that his dreams would reveal questions for his next math test, but sadly, his hopes never came to fruition.

This time, Ninten was standing in gray.

Everything was gray: the sky, the clouds, the grass. Gray it was, and gray it felt. Ninten stonily stood in front of a smooth gravestone as the unrelenting rain soaked his worn jacket and sent shivers down his slim, too-tall frame.

Next to him was a younger lady veiled in a corset of midnight maroon, hiding her face in her delicate handkerchief, but try as he might, Ninten couldn't turn his head to see who it was. The man he was impersonating was focused on the gravestone, and only on the gravestone alone.

His reflection stared back at him with wet, brown eyes.

Furrowing his eyebrows, Ninten squinted out the intricately-carved name on the weather-beaten stone:

Maria.

19XX-19YY

Music keeps the soul alive.

Ninten could feel the man - no, wait, in this dream he _was_ the man - feel a fresh surge of strange feelings. A wry sense of raw disbelief clouded his mind. Even in death, his grandmother had to remind him of her lullabies…lullabies he used to hate because lullabies were only for _little kids_, and he was a _full-fledged adult_…

"She's had a good run," his sister spoke quietly.

"But she died so painfully. She didn't deserve this," Ninten croaked, clinging desperately onto logic, because goddamnit, his emotions were killing him and he didn't trust himself not to cry in front of his younger sister.

"She's alive in our hearts-"

"She's dead," Ninten repeated coldly, refusing to acknowledge the tears that slowly began to drip from his eyes like morning dew. "Mami's dead. Music can't bring back the dead." He lowered his eyelashes, blinking rapidly as a wet trail of sadness etched his cheekbones, then hastily wiped them off.

A silence.

Then the woman spoke. "Why did you finally call after months of _nothing?_" First anxiety, then anger flooded her tone. "Do you know how worried we were? George and I've tried calling you like crazy, but you never picked up! It was like you completely vanished off the face of the Earth! We were _this _ close to reporting you as missing!"

"My apologies; I didn't mean to make you worry. I was busy tinkering in my lab and...and I lost track of time. But I don't have much time, and there's something I have to tell you." Ninten paused with an air of finality. "I'm leaving town for good."

Immediately, his sister exploded into protest. "You're leaving town?! For heaven's sake, stay!"

"I cannot. Sister, I am not related to you by blood-"

"Don't you start this again. You're still my brother, adopted or not," she responded firmly, and with a jolt, Ninten's dream self finally recognized her features – she was younger version of his own mother. "You're a part of the family."

Pained, Ninten suddenly whirled around. "I have weird mind-controlling powers, sister! POWERS that I'm sure nobody's ever seen before!"

"...So?"

"I CAN MOVE TRUCKS WITH MY MIND! That's not normal!" For some stupid reason, Ninten felt a surge of disappointment, and averted his eyes.  
>"You're better off without me," he uttered in defeated conviction. "Your safety is at risk. I cannot stay in this town any longer."<p>

His sister gave a snort. "Safety, Shmafety. Greg, nobody cares about your powers."

"George does." Ninten's voice deepened into a scornful sneer. "You know he's hated me since Mami adopted me from the orphanage."

"But-"

"The only reason he wants me to stay," Ninten started coolly. "Is because he doesn't want to lose his precious little _experiment_."

"You haven't seen him these day, Greg. George completely did a one-eighty after Mami died. He really does regret doing all sorts of…tests...on you." His sister winced at the expression on his face. "I never knew. I bet he's done all sorts of funny things on you in the basement, and I never even bothered to ask, did I? Really, if I'd known earlier, I would've-"

"Done nothing," Ninten interrupted gently. "Because this doesn't concern you."

"Your health was at risk. Of course it concerns me!" his sister huffed, crossing her arms. "And – I doubt it – but if George ever wants to test anything funny on you again, he'd better stay away..._Especially_ since my son has those powers now."

A stirring silence. "How's my favorite nephew?"

"He's your only nephew."

"Touche."

His sister laughed quietly. "Ninten's such a troublemaker. Already eight years old, and making a fuss about how he wants to go into law. He might've _magically_ inherited your powers, but he hasn't inherited your knack for math, Greg."

"He's a smart kid. Don't underestimate him." Ninten paused. "Thanks for wanting to meet up today," he added softly, rubbing awkwardly at his sleeve. "It would've been rather sad farewell had I left without seeing you."

His sister stared at him with that fond pout he had remembered since their childhood. "Must you leave?"

"It's for the best."

"...Keep in touch? Or at the very least, reconsider and stay," she pleaded. "There's no need to move out of town. You could at least be a mentor for my son."

"A mentor?" Warmth touched his cold heart at the thought, and Ninten paused, inclining his head ever-so-slightly. "All right. I suppose I'll reconsider my decision..."

"Damn right, you will." His sister grinned. "Speaking of which, how's your Archeology project going?"

"Pretty well. In fact, I got an odd request from an old colleague, and we're visiting Carpainter at Twoson this afternoon."

She made a face. ""An old colleague?" You mean your hippy friend?"

"_Fassad's_ not a hippy. He's proven himself to be a remarkably invaluable confidante, sister."

An uneasy stare. "I don't know, Giygas...there's something fishy about that man-"

"Fassad discovered an interesting artefact in the ancient ruins: A figurine in the shape of a man. You know how much I absolutely _adore_ archeology; I can't refuse this offer. That statue's got to be at least a thousand years old! An amazingly rare find, I tell you."

"You're staying overnight just to see a bajillion year-old _rock_?" His sister shook her head in disbelief. "You're crazy."

"Two nights. Three. I don't know. It depends on how long this study might take. I have a really good feeling about this _rock._" Ninten suddenly gripped her shoulders. "Ninten's psychic powers might start to develop more persistently with puberty. If they start acting up, use his poor health as an excuse to miss school. He might not like it…but trust me, if anyone saw him do strange things…he might be taken out of your custody, or-or god forbid, someone might _experiment_ on him-"

"Greg, I know. He's my son. Stop panicking and worry about yourself, you dork!"

"_Worry about yourself_. Heh. That's what Mami used to say-"

"Because you really are a ditzy dork." She made a face. "I can't believe you double majored in Archeology and Mechanical Engineering."

"Whatever, _Domestic Goddess_." He narrowed his eyes. "You would've been an excellent engineer...But _no_, you just had to get _married_ to some_ rich, bratty_ _business man_ in an overcoat and tophat-"

"Woah, hey, hey! Don't you dare chew on my husband again!" she complained, shaking her head. "Jerk...," she muttered. "I bet if you ever had a wife and kids, they'd all run away crying."

"I already have twin nieces and a brilliant, psychic nephew. I don't think I'll be settling down anytime soon," Ninten chuckled, slowly raising his head towards the city. "I'm afraid I have to cut this talk short; the trip to Twoson awaits."

"Take care!" his sister wailed, waving him off. An eager spark shone in her eyes. "Don't forget to tell me what you see in Happy Happy Village!"

"Happy Happy is a misnomer," Ninten complained loudly. "It's full of batshit-crazy, blue-eyed cultists who don't give a shit about soccer!" Then he couldn't resist the urge to cheekily add, "JUST LIKE YOUR HUSBAND!"

"GREG!"

"Sorry-not-sorry."

Angry retorts and mischievous laughter rang in Ninten's ears, and the world faded into darkness once more.

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

White.

Everything was white.

In the depths of unconsciousness, Ninten stirred. But he had no intention of moving; much like his body, exhausted was his mind.

A soft whisper tickled his ear. "Ninten…"

He only squeezed his eyes shut in response, hoping that whoever it was would stop bothering him. Yet that voice persisted.

"Ninten…_Wake_."

Reluctantly, Ninten slowly cracked open his eyes.

An endless, anti-gravity dimension stretched far out beneath his toes. Nothingness engulfed the entire plane.

"Ninten."

At the third repetition of his name, Ninten whirled around in shock. "You!"

"Me," Giygas said calmly, basking in his usual air of cold grandeur.

"What…What are you doing here?!" Ninten started furiously, quickly getting over his shock. "Get out of my mind!"

Another chair and a desk materialized in front of him, and Giygas gestured to the empty seat. "If you are so kind to join me in a game of chess," he droned monotonously. "I would be most obliged."

"I'd rather not-" Ninten began heatedly, but was cut off by Giygas's icy glare.

"_Sit_."

Ninten scowled. But feeling those cold, unforgiving eyes sear into his face, Ninten eventually complied, plopping into the empty seat so violently that the chair squeaked from the unexpected ministration. "How did you get into my mind in the first place?"

"I have powers beyond which any man can comprehend." A chess board materialized on the desk, and Giygas indifferently fiddled with the pieces. "Black, or white?"

"I don't care," Ninten hissed impatiently. He froze, surprised by his own snappiness. _Since when did I start snarking back at people? __Damn you, Claus._

Oblivious to his nephew's internal argument, Giygas sighed, wearily waving his hand. Like tiny magnets, the game pieces flew onto their respective positions, and the chess board set itself up on its own accord. "Must you be so disrespectful, Ninten?"

Ninten glared back silently.

Giygas remained unfazed. "Very well. If you insist, I will make the first move."

His long, slender fingers slowly displaced his white knight. The beautiful, glass figurine smoothly slid forward with an unearthly grace, looking as dignified and as proud as its originally-assumed role. "Your turn."

"I don't want to play!"

"Nobody plays because they have a choice."

"I'm still not playing."

Giygas merely studied him with a bored air. "I thought you wanted answers."

Ninten scowled darkly, then flicked his scrawny pawn two paces forward. "There. Satisfied?"

For several seconds, Giygas carefully studied his move, tapping his fingers against the wooden table. Then the silent man spoke, "Haven't you figured it out, Ninten? This is _your_ mindscape."

"My mindscape. Wow, I couldn't have guessed."

"I am using telepathy." Feeling Ninten's horror rise, Giygas smoothly concluded, "But I have no idea of your whereabouts. This is just a mental projection strong enough to breach your consciousness as we are technically related..."

"You're no relative of mine," Ninten said bitterly.

"Harsh words. By blood we are not, but by _magic - _through prolonged exposure with your family, parts of my PSI must have influenced _yours. _We are undoubtedly related, Ninten, related in more ways you do not wish to imagine..." Giygas paused. "I wanted to pay you a visit, considering that your feverish condition is much too weak to sustain your consciousness."

As if on cue, Ninten shuddered as a stroke of hot, searing pain tore through his body. He bit his lip, wincing as his veins burned nauseatingly, feeling as though each one had really caught fire.

Observing him carefully, Giygas paused, one hand hovering over his King. "I'm quite sorry, Ninten."

"No, you aren't."

"It was not my intention to hurt you."

"Stop," Ninten said shakily, hugging his pained sides. "Stop pretending that you care for me when you don't."

"But I do."

"LIAR!" All the tension, the hurt, the agony of the past few days exploded - Ninten suddenly slammed his hands against the desk. The chess pieces trembled underneath his palms. "You kidnapped, enslaved, and hurt everyone I care about. All you've ever told me are lies, Giygas, _LIES_! So drop the act, AND STOP PRETENDING TO BE THE UNCLE I NEVER HAD!"

Giygas flinched. The man opened his mouth, then closed it again, looking helplessly lost for words.

Ninten balled his fists. "DON'T JUST SIT THERE!" the teen screamed. "Go on, Giygas! Say it! Say how much you hate me, because goddamnit, I can't take this anymore! SAY IT! SAY IT TO MY FACE, YOU COWARD!"

And yet, Giygas said nothing. The man simply stared at the chess pieces in strained remorse, his composure cracking. He opened his mouth again, worked his jaw, then clenched it tightly. "I cannot."

Uttering an agonized cry of frustration, Ninten sank into his chair.

"…Why?" the Podunk teen croaked horribly, gripping the chess board so tightly that his pale hands turned an alabaster white. "Why are you doing this to me...?"

Something suddenly sparked in Giygas's warm, chocolate-brown irises. "Ninten," he whispered, reaching out with a hand and blinking tears away from his own eyes. "I'm so very sorry, please forgive me-"

"-but I cannot indulge in such childish sentiments."

Taken aback by the sudden change in tone, Ninten stared at him in confusion.

Giygas looked equally surprised. Halting, the man clenched his mouth, and immediately re-opened it in horrified realization. "I almost murdered my own nephew!"

Instantly, his features contorted, twisting into a cold façade. "The plan is of utmost priority."

Ninten watched in horrified bewilderment as his uncle began arguing with himself.

"Family comes first!"

"Of course. That is why _the plan is essential."_

"I almost MURDERED my own nephew!"

"Almost, but not quite."

Giygas clutched at his head. "I'm a monster!" he shouted in despair. "Maria wouldn't have wanted this-"

"How would _she_ know? You have been asleep for too long," the man whispered, the edge of his left lip curling upwards ever-so-slightly in mad glee. "Maria is dead."

Giygas's face contorted in awful agony. "NO!"

"Maria is dead."

"Lies!"

"Maria is _dead_. Deadity, deadity DEAD," he sneered, a crease scrunching up his forehead in derision.

"No, she's not! She can't be!" A sob. "She's not dead! SHE'S NOT DEAD!" Shaking violently, Giygas suddenly leaned over the table and seized a paralyzed Ninten by the shoulders. Giygas's terrified eyes began to shift and melt; dark amber brown clashed with vibrant, icy blue. "MAI KNIH TUOY OHWT ON MAI!"

Giygas froze.

Releasing his nephew's shoulders with a tortured howl of pain (Ninten hastily recoiled back from the piercing noise), the man deeply sank back into his chair. Eyes roiling like rumbling thunderclouds, he trembled, then rested his head against the back of his hand.

"Maria..." he choked. "_M-__Maria..._"

"...But she can still be saved," Giygas whispered. "Do not despair. Maria can still be saved."

As if in agreement, his eyes sparked with insane logic. Giygas lowered his voice into a terribly reassuring murmur. "Maria can still be saved...at a _small _price, of course," he mused reasonably. "I have everything under control. Why, nobody is dead, nobody is hurt yet. Who can say that I'm in the wrong?"

Giygas gave a pained grimace. The man closed his eyes. "Ninten...It hurts," he rasped, clawing desperately at his heart. "It hurts...It hurts...It hurts_-_"

Without warning, there was a shrill _clatter. _

Giygas had heavily keeled over in a dead faint.

To say that Ninten was frightened was an understatement. In one fluid motion, he flinched backwards, instantly leaping to his feet.

"G-Giygas?" he stammered. "What's going on?"

Weakly slumped against the furniture, his uncle only moaned lifelessly, piteously scrabbling at the table top in response. Alarmed by his uncle's failing condition, Ninten rushed forward to aid him.

But in an alarming burst of speed, Giygas loudly slapped a quivering palm onto the table. His pupils seemed to have shrunk to two small pinpricks of obsidian. "No need to help," came the cool voice. Righting himself onto the wooden chair, Giygas stared straight at him, studying Ninten with a shrewd, calculating gaze. "Everything is under control."

Hesitating, Ninten stared at Giygas for any sign of...that strange "multi-personality" disorder, but his uncle was as impassive as always. When Ninten still didn't respond, Giygas raised an eyebrow and gestured towards the unfinished chess game.

"Dear boy, do take a seat. I believe it is your turn."

Something was clearly wrong. "Giygas," Ninten started carefully. "Are you feeling all right?"

A mad giggle. "Giygas is feeling _fine_. Just feeling a tad bit worried for his nephew's welfare."

"Uncle," Ninten addressed, feeling fear trickle down his spine. "Stop it. You're really starting to freak me out."

Another mad miggle. Giygas, still fixing Ninten with an unwavering gaze, slowly and deliberately flicked a chess piece over. The sharp sound pierced his ears, and Ninten flinched violently at the loud, harsh clatter of shattering glass on wood.

"Your move, Ninten," Giygas whispered, and his insane grin slowly widened into a sinister sneer.

Ninten rose shakily, backing away. "I'm done with this game."

Blue eyes flashed like lightning. Suddenly, Giygas slammed his palms against the table with a frightening look of dark anger. "We're not done with this game," he growled in a low baritone. "Until _I_ say so."

His aura blazing with raw fury, Giygas's eyes began to glow like molten lava. Suddenly, immense chains of psychic power wrapped around Ninten's wrists and ankles, binding him into place.

"Giygas, what the hell!" Ninten yelped, struggling against the mental bonds slithering over his skin. "Let me go!"

Ignoring him, Giygas snapped his fingers, and Ninten's king flew into his palm. "I made the first move, and you responded to my call. Now, all I have to do is wait until my pieces align, and then-" His fist snapped the piece cleanly into two in front of Ninten's horrified eyes. "_Checkmate_."

"You're not my uncle, are you?" Ninten managed to say, struggling against his tightening bonds.

"Yes, and no."

"Who are you?!"

"And yet you are so very lost in the dark!" Giygas laughed, a cackling howl of glee grating unpleasantly against his eardrums. "You still have no idea who you're up against, do you, Ninten?!"

"Yeah, I do!" Ninten spat, trying to blast apart his restraints. "You're a disgusting sicko who abducted me and my friends from school! Now lemme go!"

"The time has passed for pleasantries. Give up while you can." His uncle slowly smiled, but the eerie smile didn't quite reach his eyes. "Giygas doesn't want to hurt you, and by that extension, neither do I..."

"This is madness!" Ninten protested, steadying his restrained fists. His brown eyes smoldered with determined fury. "I'm not letting you hurt anyone else."

"Me? Hurt anyone? Please, Ninten, let's be rational."

"You're the least rational person I know."

"Then let's talk science. That should be plenty rational to you." Giygas smiled slyly like a student who had outwitted his teacher in class. "Did you know that emotional pain is a merely subjective notion controlled by the dose of norepinephrine and neurotransmitters in the brain? If your friends were so-called quote-on-quote "hurt" by my actions, how is it necessarily _my_ fault?"

"Don't confuse me!"

"Confuse you? How can I confuse you with the truth? Human beings are slaves to the same biological tendencies and desires as other animals. Even the tiniest amoeba has more genes than _you_ do at this very moment. Compared to that, humans aren't any more superior than the ants crawling beneath the same soil!"

"It's wrong," Ninten managed to say. "You can't treat everyone like…like dirt! People have feelings! YOU have feelings!"

Giygas froze, halting in mid speech. He stared at Ninten in dawning incredulity. For a second, Ninten thought he had managed to get his point across, but his heart sank when Giygas suddenly burst into a fit of utter hilarity.

"Are you telling me that humans are special just because of their capability to FEEL?"

"Yeah, maybe I am!"

Giygas cackled hysterically in glee, clutching at his aching sides. "Oh, YOU are a RIOT!" The man convulsed violently in mirth, his limbs spasming erratically. "Don't delude yourself, Ninten! What you call pain is merely an influx of glutamate! What you call love is just a chemical reaction that compels you to breed! Survival of the fittest at its finest, dear boy!" Giygas threw his despairing nephew a distinctly amused smirk. "Disprove me, Ninten. Am I lying?"

_YES! _Ninten wanted to scream, but as much as he wanted to challenge the words spewing out of Giygas's mouth, he couldn't find a way to disprove them.

In fact, that was the worst part. It was frightening how _rational_ yet _irrational _Giygas sounded.

But Ninten didn't give up. "How about me? How about my mother? How about _Maria_?" Ninten snapped. He couldn't exactly tell why, but an overwhelming sense of anger began to cloud his upbeat nature. "Don't you care about us? Or are we just insignificant, little _ants _to you?"

Giygas features froze. "Leave Maria out of this," he snarled. Abruptly, the man slammed his palms down onto the desk, then leaned in uncomfortably close. His dark, scowling form loomed over Ninten in a dangerous shadow. "Do you presume to be arrogant by mentioning _her_ name so flippantly? Do you really think you have the right to mention _her_ in that disrespectful manner?"

"...But no matter. You and your friends are all pieces. Clueless little chess pieces in my grand game of games," Giygas breathed. Wild madness danced in his eyes. "You think you're off my chess board, but in fact, I've already taken your king. Why, the game has barely even started, and _you_ have already _lost_."

An awful sense of trepidation filled Ninten's heart. "What do you mean?!" he demanded. "We haven't lost!"

"There's been a traitor planted within your midst, and you don't even know who it is!"

Ninten blanched. "You're lying," he said shakily. "You're lying to me, aren't you?"

"Perhaps I am. Perhaps I'm not. So many questions, but so little time. Let me take pity on your ignorance and throw you a lifeline." Giygas snapped his fingers, and an illusion of a swirly dome sprang in place. "Beautiful little cottage here. To reach it, I suggest you follow the main river upstream. The land inclines upwards, so eventually, you'll reach-"

"A waterfall."

"Correct."

"…and there's only one waterfall in Eagleland…" Ninten's eyes dawned in recognition. "Grapefruit Falls?"

Giygas appraised him with an approving look. "Not too bad of a head you've got there, my boy."

Internally bristling at the patronizing tone, Ninten gritted his teeth, then studied the image of the house rippling in his thoughts. "What's so important about Grapefruit Falls?"

"Ah, that's where the real fun begins. On top of Grapefruit Falls lies this lovely little cabin you see here." Giygas prodded at the holographic illusion with a long, bony finger. "And inside? Inside is a man I daresay you'd love to meet."

"You're lying. This is another trap, isn't it?"

Giygas's smile widened even further. "Is it? I am the liar who tells the truth, and he who is a man is not a man after all."

"Stop messing with me!"

"All knowledge has a price. But I'm offering you a _choice_, Ninten," Giygas corrected pleasantly. "If you want to keep simmering in never-ending ignorance, by all means, be my guest. But if you ask me, you'd be wasting your time. This man holds all the answers you seek."

"Spare me your twisted lies. I want answers _now_!" Ninten spat, shaky hands crackling with PSI. "What have you done to my uncle?!"

Giygas smiled, blue irises winking a bloody violet in the dying light. His eyelids blinked independently of each other in a wet, reptilian _snick_, lending a positively inhuman look to his deadly, lopsided features. "I haven't done anything to your uncle, Ninten. I _am_ your uncle. That is, the _other_ part of your Uncle, the less...sympathetic side, I suppose. It's such a shame, but what can I say? I do tend to bring out the worst in people, HAHAHAAAAAAAAA!"

"LET HIM GO!"

"Angry are we? And to think that you were so even-tempered. I am _very_ disappointed in you." Giygas's teeth gleamed dangerously. "And while we're at it, I wonder what Giygas has to say about your terrible manners…"

"NINTEN! DON'T LISTEN TO HIM!" Ninten jumped at the sudden outburst. Staring at him in strained desperation, Giygas clawed at his face, drawing a furrow of crimson across of his cheek. Gone was the cool blue; the terrified brown eyes were back. "DON'T GO TO GRAPEFRUIT FALLS! The Starmen aren't the only things I have in my arsenal-"

A gurgle and a choke.

"Oopsie, did I interrupt something?" Giygas said in feigned surprise. The condescending face was back; blue orbs bore into Ninten's skin. "I do hate giving spoilers. A spoiled surprise is no surprise at all. Oh, now, will you look at the time? You'd better start praying to the lucky stars, Ninten, because this time, you'll be needing it!"

Seething with boiling anger, Ninten hurled a rush of PSI at him, but cackling hysterically, Giygas blasted it aside with remarkable agility.

"This is pure gold! You think _you_ can stop me? Me, the Master of Illusions? Foolish boy. You must be desperate. Let's be realistic, how _do_ you plan to stop me if you can't even grasp the true form of my attack?"

Giygas's eyes glowed once more.

Ninten jumped as a disembodied howl of agony ripped throughout his mindscape. Suddenly, deadly volcanic ash erupted from his dream, showering Ninten with dozens of horrible illusions, and coughing, he swatted feebly at the smoky powder, trying not to suffocate on the cloud of dust. Overhead, Giygas's grim conviction rang deeply in his ears, grating and groaning awfully into a distorted snarl of insanity.

"Ninten, I don't want to hurt you..."

_Ana screamed shrilly as a Starman blasted her face into bloody smithereens._

"But if you continue to oppose me…"

_Ness lay belly-up on his back, staring at the ceiling with glassy violet eyes. Blood leaked out of his mouth, staining his blue lips a dark crimson._

"Your precious friends will pay with their lives."

_Lucas and Claus sat against each other, slumped back to back, both skewered through the stomach by the same bloody sword. Fresh tear tracks trailed their cheeks, mixing with the gore on the glinting, golden blade._

Frozen with fear, Ninten could only watch the nightmarish illusions with horrified eyes. His friends' tortured, dying shrieks melded and oozed into his brain into one terrible symphony of pain, _tearing into his heart and ripping through his mind_-

"Stop it!" Ninten yelled, clapping his hands over his ears. It did little to drown out the cacophonic screams of pure agony. "STOP IT!" he screamed.

"Stop what?" Giygas smiled innocently. "This?" With another snap of his fingers, the illusions disappeared, leaving them stranded in a blank white mindscape once more.

Retching, Ninten shuddered violently on the ground, clutching at his head in pain.

"Of course, this is quite a bit to take in, so I'll let you stew over the consequences of your actions," Giygas said cheerfully. "But just so you remember: everyone dies, life is hopeless, and your efforts to stop me are ridiculous at best. I'll look forward to savoring your look of helpless horror when you realize that I was _right_, and you were _wrong. _Until later_,_ _dear nephew,_" Giygas mocked, bending into a derisive bow. His unforgiving eyes burned a liquid azure in malicious mischief. "And don't _you_ forget it - the twins are as good as _mine._"

Violently throwing his head back, Giygas laughed an impressive, terrifying, high-pitched cackle that sent the hairs on Ninten's neck standing on end.

Wrenching himself free from his bonds, Ninten did the only thing he could:

He ran.

"Run, Ninten, RUUUUUUUUUUN!" Giygas screamed in a bizarre mix of enraptured glee and horrified fear. His darkened features looked downright savage in the crimson light, and his high-pitched scream melted into a deep, groaning baritone. "Let's see how fast as you can run from your fate!"

With a _hiss_, a shower of boiling sparks erupted and exploded in his face, throwing ominous shadows slanting across his skin. As the white-hot magma melted the rough, craggy rock into shapeless goo, Ninten desperately sped up into a sprint, dodging and darting between the gasping geysers.

A_ CRACK _of thunder.

Amidst Giygas's howling laughter, an animalistic panic seized Ninten, skewering his heart with pure terror as he fled from his demented relative.

The entire mountain rumbled and collapsed, forcing Ninten stumble into the dark caverns below. Flattening himself behind a cracked boulder, Ninten doubled over, trying to calm his ragged, erratic breaths. Even though it wasn't real, the heat of the lava certainly _felt_ real, scorching and sizzling whispered threats underneath his seared feet.

"Oh, Nintennnn..." The voice sang softly. "Come out, come out, wherever you areeeeeee..."

Shivering sweat trickled off his black bangs, and Ninten shrank back behind his wall of stone, desperately praying that nothing would happe-

A bony hand clamped onto his shoulder.

His own hand to be more precise.

"dO YoU REaLLy tHiNK YOu cAn eSCape FRoM mE?" his double asked innocently.

In sheer terror, Ninten slashed through his copy with a sparking hand, but the illusion only laughed, melting into his uncle's twisted features.

"mARk My wORds, I wIll FinD yOu," Giygas promised in an awful groan. Rattling eyes rolled madly in their foaming sockets, and thick, devilish horns slowly sprouted from his temples. "bOth YoU AnD yOUr pEttY LiTtlE fRieNdSSssSSsssssss."

As Ninten stumbled backwards, recoiling from his tormentor's horrible face, the heel of his foot slipped off the rocky pavement.

Gravity took place. With a yell, Ninten plummeted down and sank into the blazing pits of liquid fire. Hungry lava devoured his shoes, sucking him down into an endless vortex of black...

"No!" Ninten shrieked, but the gurgling flames licked his sides, his arms, his neck...

A final scream, then twin pits of fire melted through his sockets.

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

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.

.

"Ninten!"

"…Ninten?"

"Hey, hey. Tin-ten, wake up."

"Goddamnit, Ness. It's been a solid ten minutes. I'm getting a bucket of snow."

"Claus!"

"Geez, I was just joking, Lucas. Don't give me that look." An impatient pause. "OI. LAWYER BOY. If you don't wake up in the next five seconds, I'm eating all your Oreos!"

As if on cue, Ninten's brown eyes flashed open. "NOOOOOO!" he yelled.

In front of him, Claus began cracking up. "Oh my god, I can't believe that actually worked!" he cackled.

Colors and shapes dawned in his vision. Ninten wildly scanned his surroundings. Strange, alien furniture decorated the capacious room, looking innocently like the standard interior of a tiny cottage.

_…Or is it?_

Panicked thoughts chased after each other in his head.

_What if this is one giant illusion?_

_What if Giygas is still messing around with my mind?_

_What if everything I thought I knew was a lie, and everyone's actually...dead?_

Lucas noticed the horrified look on his friend's face and sobered up. "Ninten," he broke out worriedly. "What's wrong?"

Suddenly, Ninten slapped both his hands on Claus's cheeks, and began to slide them down with a glazed expression on his face.

Claus's eyes widened in wordless shock.

Lucas looked equally dumbstruck. "Uh…," he started uncertainly. "Ninten?"

Ness threw him an extremely concerned expression. "I think the fever's addled his brains a lot more than we thought..."

Claus narrowed his eyes into a squint. "Ninten," he rumbled in a dangerously low voice. "It's great that you're finally awake, but can you _please_ get your hands off my face?"

There was no denying that the soft flesh underneath his palms was real.

Quickly, Ninten removed his hands from Claus's less-than-bemused face. "R-Right," he stammered quietly. "Just checking."

Claus closed his mouth, glancing at Ninten with a surprised look. He had expected the Podunk teen to retort back, but apparently that had not been the case.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Claus broke out bluntly.

At his statement, Ninten's shoulders began to shake. In front of their alarmed faces, Ninten suddenly started laughing and crying loudly at the same time. Tears dribbled down his cheeks, but he couldn't help but laugh because the fact that they were all alive was so _surreal_-

"Ninten!" Ness started in shock, reaching out to help, but the Podunk teen had already slapped his hand away.

"Stay away from me!"

Now all of his friends were watching him in collective surprise.

Backing away, Ninten fumbled unsteadily for the doorknob. "G-Give me a minute," he stammered. "I n-need some fresh air-"

"Ninten, wait!" Lucas suddenly shouted, eyes darting to the window. "It's starting to snow-"

The door slammed shut, leaving three boys to stare at each other in bewildered silence.


	21. Chapter 21

***Update: 10/10/15***

Sorry about the delay. It's been a rough month, and instead of writing, I've either been studying ochem, or venting off stress through sketching. As a cartoonist, it's a dream hobby of mine to make a webcomic one day.

In a strange way, I'm glad I haven't posted the next chapter yet. The last three were fairly rushed (especially chapter 21) because I wanted to chug them all out before my midterms. In short, I ended up sacrificing quality for time: a bad mistake on my part. But don't worry; I'm not making the same mistake twice. And if I still screw up...I have y'all to tell me. :)

Ya'll know the spiel. The next chapter will be up when it's ready. :) Thanks for your consideration as always, and happy reading.

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><p><strong>Heya guys!<strong>

**As promised, here's the last part of Chapter 19. :) I'm sorry it's like an hour past midnight, so _technically_ I posted this a day late (sorry :x), but aside from the god-awful wi-fi, I also got caught up in an interesting conversation with my roomies about silly horror movies. Apparently there's one about a possessed tire killing people. It's called _Rubber_. I'm not joking. Like seriously wtf I don't even-**

**Sorry, I'm getting off-track. Here's the next chapter. I'll cut this A/N short, but as always, thanks for your support. :) If I have weird time gaps between posting each chapter, it's probably because I'm working my butt off in college. Or maybe it's because I got murdered by a possessed tire. Oh, the horror.**

**Yeah, I think I should get some sleep. Cutting to the reviews :)**

**The-Great-Me-sama**: Context? What context? ;D Yeah, and I agree; Chapter 20 was a strange shift from chapter 19. I hope it wasn't too jarring haha

**Guest**: Thanks. :) I'll do my best to keep it up!

**FalconerET**: Aahhh, thank you, Falconer. :) Writing descriptively is actually my weakness; every time I post a chapter, I have to comb through it to remove unnecessary phrases because it might detract focus from the story haha. All of my English teachers say that I have this problem. XD And yes, chapter 19-21 were supposed to be one chapter, but I ended up separating them, which slightly re-arranged the structure of my story. No biggie though. :) And yeah, Chapters 22-23 are going to be...interesting. As always, thanks for the well-wishes; likewise, I wish you luck in school. :)

**ConnorTheSpeling**: Oops, yeah, I'll get around to fixing the mistakes and modifying the text sometime (including the Mr. Saturn speech format). :x And yes, cliched scene is cliche. The chess scene was originally not the nightmare I was going to add, but I couldn't resist. Plus throw in illusions and things get _much_ more complicated. ;) But you're right, Giygas does have a tough life...Man, Ninten, your entire family's messed up *apologizes profusely* Haha yes, I snuck in knowledge from my mobio class (it helps me review lol). And hmmm...maybe there is a traitor, maybe there's not. Oh man, I love writing about psychological manipulation! *Gets shot*

And sorry, I should've rephrased the author's note; most of the emotional scenes derive from situations in my daily life, but thankfully _not all of them_. :) For one my mom's alive, my dad's certainly not a drunkard, and my bullying experiences were more psychological than physical (thank gods). But Claus's resentment towards his own father, Ness's parents arguing over their financial situation, and Lucas's bullies calling him a crybaby are a few of many scenes based on past memories. But seriously, I'm not trying to make you feel bad about me lol; there are way more people who have it worse than I do. At least I have a supportive family. That's more than many people can say.

I appreciate the praise, but you flatter me. :) I do prefer cartooning over writing, but we shall see in the future. *Dons sunglasses*

**PSIBoy**: Bruh, it's okay. :) If anything, thanks for going out of your way to write a review. Of course, if it makes you feel better, I suck at giving reviews, but hey, I try my best to make them sound less sucky haha! And yeah, I really did up the ante in horror last chapter, didn't I? D: Poor Ninten. Oh, and is there _really_ a traitor? ;D I'm not spoiling anything~

By the way, intriguing theory there...but as for what really happened to Giygas and who's behind all this, we'll just have to wait and see. ;) And thanks, your praise means a lot haha. Characterization is something I'm trying to practice, so it does mean a lot that you pointed it out. I'm just hoping that none of the characters start acting OoC. *crosses fingers* And ahhhh, I really appreciate your consideration. :) But a promise is a promise (although I did technically post this like an hour before midnight lol), and don't worry; I'm planning to get more sleep this weekend. :)

**B33BeepBeepMeow**: Nightmare fuel is the best kind of fuel. ;) And wow that's one convoluted dream you had O_O I'm still trying to figure out how Pokemon plushies would fit in with Metal Gear Solid...'tis a mystery that may never be solved. XD

**CrankySky**: Yeah, poor Ninten. We'll see if he feels okay... D: And huh, maybe Claus might eat Ninten's Oreos. Maybe the sword IS the Masked Man's sword. Or maybe I'm just writing random things. ;) Who knows?

**DarkFoxKit**: Holy crap, you were listening to Giygas's OST? O_O That's some creepy shiz haha. After reading your review, I tried reading last chapter with the music on like you did and...*puts headphones down* That's enough creepy music for one day. And who knows, perhaps Giygas was lying...maybe there really wasn't a traitor to begin with. Or maybe there is. We may never find out...DX But thank you for the well-wishes! And yeah, I might be busy as heck, but hey, so is everyone else. :) But I'll definitely do my best to upload whenever time permits~

**Angel-Woof**: IT'S OKAY THIS IS THE LAST PART OF THE CHAPTER WOOO-

Thank you. :) And btw, I really appreciate your dedication to review. :) But really, if you're busy, it's okay to miss a review every once in a while. We're all busy people, and I totally understand if stuff happens. Like college. And a science major (3 hour labs WHYYYY)

Yeah, you pretty much nailed the reason why Ninten won't play chess anymore. XD Psychological trauma hooray. And hey, I didn't know you liked Ninten; well, this chapter hopes to explore a flashback from him, so I hope you enjoy that. :) And if it makes your day, all the characters that you have mentioned in your review will make a debut in the story. As for when and for what circumstances...I'm not saying. ;D I totes understand why you'd like the characters you picked as your favorites for each game...but oh man I can't choose I like all the characters - *Starts sobbing dramatically in the corner*

As for Eight Melodies...I think it might play a minor cameo (I'm still adjusting a few things in that particular chapter), but we'll see how that goes. No promises. But I'll see what I can do. :)

**A Fan**: Thanks for the review. :) I'm glad you caught up on the last chapter; I was worried that you thought I was ignoring you or something haha. Trust me: I answer **ALL** reviews. :) It might seem like a hassle, but hey, I think it's a fun way to interact with my readers, even though 99% of the things I say are probably boring or irrelevant haha

Man, you readers and your interesting theories! Both of your predictions are pretty mind-boggling, but as usual, I ain't spoilin' nothin' yet. ;D Not knowing is half the fun~

And yes, my friend, the mind games are real *dons sunglasses* As a person who's never played Xenoblade Chronicles, I can't say that the entire dream sequence reminded me of anything, but hey, I might play it...when I'M REALLY FEELING IT *Sorry-not-sorry-okay I'm sorry, Shulk* And haha I lol'ed at the whole "Stan Gan" situation. XD Oh life, you work in mysterious ways.

**Plushiepaw**: I know what you mean. :) I'm also a fan of long chapters, but yeah, chapter 19 had too many different subjects involved. And thanks; I appreciate your consideration! I'll definitely do my best to keep up with the story whenever I can. Don't worry; I shouldn't be ever quitting this story. If I ever do, I'll let y'all know, but even if it takes me another year, I'm 99.99999% sure that I'm finishing this fic (...I already have the conclusion written down lol)

As for whether or not Giygas's schemes will mess with the way Ninten's going to act...we shall see. :) And who knows if there really is a traitor? No one knowwwwws O_O By the way, I'm glad about your enthusiasm for the next two chapters; I was afraid that the sudden change in POVs might be off-putting for some people, but it's nice to know that many of you are looking forward to it! And hey, that's what I love about writing this story; it entertains many different POVs, so it encourages more imagination about what might happen next. B) Or maybe that's just wishful thinking haha

And no, telling you about my fic length isn't a huge spoiler. :) So initially, I outlined my plot into separate chapters. First, this fic was only supposed to be 15 chapters long. Then 26. Now...idk. I would shoot for 26-30, but again, it really depends on my writing. As you probably know, I have a bad tendency to milk out emotions, which slows down the plot and forces me to split chapters. So far, I had to split Chapter 10, Chapter 14, Chapter 16, Chapter 17, and Chapter 19. So to answer your question, no, this story isn't ending anytime soon...I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing haha. Probably both? Anyways, Rock on. B)

**[Insert Appropriate Disclaimer Here]**

* * *

><p><strong><span>Past<span>:**

_Mom, can you stop buying me shorts?_

_What's wrong with shorts, honey?_

_They make my legs look...I don't know...my legs look really skinny and all weird-looking..._

_Weird? I think you look fine, sweet. You're __perfect the way you are._

But none of his parents don't seem to understand that other boys in his grade are taller than him, or have muscles, or at least look like they wouldn't snap into two like a friggin' toothpick. Ninten seems to have gotten the short end of the stick when it comes to genetics.

He involuntarily rubs his sore wrist, then glances at the silver-plated playground slide. The ugly fourth-grade boy that is his reflection speaks volumes of living with health problems, and Ninten internally cringes. On and on he could list the flaws in his physique. His limbs look frail, his build is tiny like a child's. His cheeks are pale, a wash of the purest white that never seems to get any tanner from playing out in the sun, and his complexion resembles that of a corpse.

Bright, familiar laughter catches his ears, and filled with growing trepidation, Ninten shyly peers around the tree trunk, watching the object of his attention in awe.

Ana is swinging across the monkey bars with Paula and Poo at her heels, laughing away in the afternoon breeze of the fourth grade playground. Poo performs a cool trick, flipping upside down on the monkey bars, and both girls excitedly cheer in new-found enthusiasm. The sunlight lightly kisses Ana's long, delicate hair, making it glint like an iridescent, glowing fountain of red that frames her perfect, pretty features in a fiery curtain.

Ninten's breath catches in his throat. He wants to talk to her so desperately, wants to make her laugh like Poo did. The desire to say _something_ aches so painfully in his tight, asthmatic ribcage.

_It's just a silly crush, _whispers the nasty voice in the corner of his mind. _Don't do anything stupid._

_Maybe she'll speak if I talk to her. _Optimistic hope stirs in his chest, but that nasty voice brutally shoots the thought down.

_She has Poo. Why would Ana even want to talk to a loser like you? _it whispers. _Face it, Ninten, you don't stand a chance. Save your dignity when you can._

Ninten wants to argue otherwise, that _no, Ana's a nice person and she wouldn't ignore me on purpose, _but deep down, he hates how that nasty voice sounds so reasonable.

Recalling how Poo had made Ana laugh so brightly, Ninten clutches the small daisy more tightly to his throbbing chest. What could _he_ do to make Ana laugh like that?

Popular Poo has the brawn, the brains, _and_ the looks.

But Ninten doesn't have any of those. All he has to offer is his lame humor and weak heart.

Besides, Ninten is frail. Ninten has asthma. Ninten can make things move with his mind.

Ninten is abnormal.

Ana would be so much better off without him.

_Then why does it hurt so much?_ His heart leaps into his throat, and Ninten feels like a thousand butterflies are about to explode out of his chest-

_Don't worry, Ninten._

_You look fine._

_You're perfect the way you are._

Ninten squeezes his eyes shut. He might be a child, but he wonders why adults couldn't be _honest-_

_Everyone is perfect the way they are._

_But some people are born more perfect than others._

"Ninten!" Ness cuts in cheerfully, suddenly materializing at his side with Pokey on his heels. "Watcha lookin' at?"

"N-Nothing!"

"I bet he's watching his _girlfriend _again," Pokey smirks, then gives a cheeky wolf-whistle.

"She's not my girlfriend!" Ninten cries, but he feels his traitorous cheeks burn with warmth.

"Girls are pretty," Ness says thoughtfully, making the other two stare at him. In one swift motion, Ness quickly places a hand on Ninten's shoulder, then lowers his voice matter-of-factly. "But my dad said that if you hang out with girls for too long..." Ness's features shift to a genuine look of fright. "You can catch _cooties_."

"Eww! Ninten has cooties!" Pokey shrieks, then rambunctiously lumbers away.

"I don't have cooties!" Ninten squeaks. "I wasn't even looking at her!"

Ness laughs, then drags him over to the baseball field. "'Course you weren't. You're too cool to have cooties."

And as his closest friend chatters away next to him, Ninten can't help but take a last glimpse of his crush.

_One day. __I'll make you laugh one day, Ana. I promise._

Ninten knows that he isn't the strongest, nor the smartest, nor even the most normal fourth-grade boy. He's far from perfect.

But that gives him all the more reason to try.

* * *

><p><strong><span>Present<span>:**

Ninten ran.

He ran until his lungs burned, then panting heavily, stopped, doubling over on his knees. Choking and gasping, he shuddered, then buried his head in his hands in a sob.

_"Ninten, I don't want to hurt you..._

_But if you continue to oppose me..._

_Your precious friends will pay with their lives."_

The snow fell around him in soft curtains, enveloping the valley in a peaceful, cozy blanket. Odd, little cottages surrounded him in a warm glow, and occasionally, an alien-looking creature with stubby legs would walk past, murmur "**Am Mr. Saturn**," throw him a sad look, then stumble away.

But Ninten couldn't care less. He choked out terrible, rib-racking sobs, squeezing out his tears like a continuous torrent of pain. Ninten rarely let anything bother him; with all his optimism, he couldn't remember the last time he'd cried, and here he was now, bawling his eyes out in the snow.

Gods, he was already so weak and frail to begin with.

Now his friends all probably thought he was a loser.

Sounds of someone approaching crunched behind him. Sniffling, Ninten turned around with red-rimmed eyes. Soft, blond-tufted hair met his line of vision.

Lucas.

Ninten plastered a feeble smile on his face, mouth open and ready to spout out an excuse. "Hey," he said in feeble bravado. "I like the, uh, weather. It's like all snowy and, and, uh, snowy."

"Ninten," Lucas started quietly.

Ninten stiffened. "Leave me alone, Lucas," he spat shakily.

For several moments, they regarded each other in silence. Then walking over to Ninten's hunched form, Lucas crouched down beside him. If the blond noticed the tears sliding down his friend's face, he didn't mention it.

"Claus and Ness wanted to go out looking for you as well, but I figured you'd rather be alone."

Despite his rattled state, Ninten couldn't help but let out a snort. "I'm surprised Claus let you out in this weather. He's like, your full-time babysitter."

Lucas tensed up. "Claus might be my twin," he said carefully. "But that doesn't mean I can't make decisions on my own, Ninten."

Ninten closed his mouth, catching the silent rebuke. His ears flushed a deep crimson in embarrassment. "...Sorry."

Lucas looked mortified at his own outburst. "No, I'm sorry," he muttered, abashed. "I didn't mean to say that-"

"Nah, I totally had that one coming," Ninten grinned weakly. Absentmindedly rubbing his bare arms, the Podunk teen guiltily averted his gaze to the ground. "How are you holding up?" he mumbled. "I mean, you were kinda loopy the last time we actually talked..."

Lucas's features softened. "I'm doing fine, 'Ten. Thanks for asking." He studied Ninten carefully. "But I think the question is, are you?"

Ninten recalled his Uncle's warning. Illusions of his dead friends popped into his mind, and Ninten lowered his head. "I'm afraid I'm not, Lucas," he said quietly. The admission stung. "...I'm afraid I'm not."

**_"There's been a traitor planted within your midst, and you don't even know who it is!"_**

_No. _Ninten closed his eyes. _It can't be true...I've known Ness for a bazillion years, and it can't be the twins because they know Giygas is after them._

_Who is the traitor? Is there even a traitor?_

There was a rustle on snow as Lucas shifted slightly besides him. Even as Ninten kept his eyes averted towards the icy snowdrift, he felt those worried blue eyes quietly study his face.

Immediately, Ninten banished his train of thought, feeling awfully guilty about thinking such things in the first place. _Why am I doubting my friends? Is this what Giygas is trying to do?_ Ninten shuddered, then hugged his knees tighter._ Ugh, I don't know what to think anymore._

Lucas waited. His patience was rewarded; after a minute of uncomfortable silence, Ninten abruptly broke into speech.

"Do you ever get the feeling that we're just insignificant specks in the universe? Like it hits you, like BAM - nothing we do on this planet really matters in the end?" Ninten moodily kicked a stone. "Why care at all if we're all gonna die anyways?"

Sad blue eyes so different from his uncle's studied him sympathetically. "We care," Lucas answered gently. "Because it's what gives our lives purpose."

The Podunk teen breathed in deeply. "Well, that's stupid. I wish I didn't care anymore," Ninten said bitterly, flopping onto his back. "What's the point? It hurts. It sucks to live."

"That's when you gotta push through," Lucas said calmly. "If you can't push past it, you've already failed at life."

Wow.

Wiping away the tears with his sleeve, Ninten rolled his watery eyes. "And I thought Claus was brutally honest."

Lucas breathed deeply into the chilly atmosphere. "If it makes you feel better, Ninten," he said gently. "You take in bad news better than I do."

"Really?"

"Really." The older boy sighed deeply. His breath spiraled into the fresh, cold air like smoke. "Several years ago, I blamed myself for my mom's death. She died to save me and my brother. My mom pushed us out of the way of a truck. I was closest to the point of impact. If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't even be sitting here today."

Ninten stared at him in disbelief. "You saw her die?"

"I guess you could say that."

"...I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It wasn't your fault."

Ninten clenched his jaw. "Life's unfair."

Lucas laughed quietly. "Maybe you're right. Maybe life's unfair. Maybe life's just a crazy way of saying _Hey look, I'm not dead yet._" He paused, tracing swirly patterns in the snow. "But if it makes you feel better, at least you're not grueling it out alone."

"..."

"So..." Lucas slowly offered him his hand. "Feel like giving another shot at life?"

Ninten stared at the proffered hand. "You're crazy, Lucas." But he grasped it anyways, feeling his own lips slowly curve upwards into a small smile. "What the heck, why not?"

Lucas quietly hummed in satisfaction. "I like those odds."

Ninten playfully cocked an eyebrow. "And y'know what they say about odds."

For the first time during their dialogue, Lucas looked vastly confused. "What?"

"Don't ask me; I don't _even_ know! Geddit? Because-"

"Ninten…"

"Yeah, I know. Bad pun, my bad..."

.

.

.

.

.

.

"Claus," Ness broke out exasperatedly. "They're probably fine."

"I'm not worried."

Knowing not to fight a losing battle, Ness checked his watch. "It's been twenty minutes..." He glanced up anxiously. "D'you think Ninten got knocked out again?"

Claus stiffly paced back and forth on the threshold, occasionally peering through the window. "I hope not."

Both of them jumped when the door swung open, and footsteps clomped into the house. A snow-clad Ninten and Lucas entered the cottage, shivering violently against the cold.

Immediately, the other two boys reacted at once; Ness wrestled the door shut against the howling blizzard, and Claus dragged the two into the house.

"What the hell were you thinking, Ninten?!" Claus started angrily, taking off his jacket and wrapping it around the younger teen's shoulders. "What, do you have a death wish?"

Looking quite miffed, Ninten opened his mouth to retort, but unexpectedly froze. A funny expression adorned his face, but before any of them could comment on it, Ninten violently sneezed.

Like a kitten.

"Bless you," Lucas said politely.

"'danks."

Lucas grinned sheepishly, handing Ninten a spare blanket. "Sorry, Claus. We just lost track of time."

Ninten rolled his eyes. "Yeah. Geez, calm your shit, Claus-"

But Claus only crossed his arms. "I want an explanation." His eyes roamed over them, and Ninten winced. "But first, I think you owe me an explanation, Lucas."

Lucas shuffled his feet nervously. "An explanation?"

Ninten glanced over in confusion. "Did I miss something?" he blurted out. The foreign setting finally registered in his mind, and surprise dawned on Ninten's features. "Where are we?"

"Saturn Valley. Lucas hasn't told us how he knew the Mr. Saturn," Ness cut in casually. Catching Lucas's betrayed expression, Ness raised his arms up in surrender. "Lucas, you _did_ promise to tell us," Ness added with a frown. "And I'm kinda surprised you didn't."

"I forgot," Lucas admitted weakly.

"You _forgot_ you met a stubby, two-footed alien-looking creature whose body is literally its head." Claus cocked an eyebrow sarcastically, completely unconvinced. "...I'm waiting, Lucas."

Oh boy.

Feeling three sets of curious eyes on him, Lucas knew he couldn't beat around the bush anymore. "So...uh...remember that time I went missing when you all went chasing after the Mecha-lion?"

Everyone grimaced simultaneously.

"Yeah," Ness said with a wince. "Don't remind me."

Claus grumbled. "Way to cheer us up, Lucas."

"Um, so I...uh," Lucas stammered, feeling his skin turn clammy. "I kind of stumbled into a Mr. Saturn, and..." Lucas mumbled something incomprehensible under his breath.

"Wait, what?" Ninten frowned.

"...an...mayormaynot...ide...iff."

"Lucas, speak up. We can't hear you," Claus said impatiently. "So you stumbled into a Mr. Saturn, and then what?"

Lucas laughed nervously. "Uh, so...I-may-or-may-not-have-saved-it-off-the-side-of-a-cliff," he quickly rattled off. "The end."

Claus blanched. "YOU DID WHAT?!"

"It didn't take long!" Lucas added hurriedly when his friends all looked horrified. "I swear, it only took like, _two_ seconds!"

Claus groaned, dragging his palm down his face. "See, _this_ is why I can't let you out of my sight," the ginger said, waving his arms around in exasperation. "The minute I step away, you're either off getting high, or saving weirdos from cliffs, or...or _throwing yourself in front of drunk drivers_!"

"That last one doesn't count!" Lucas protested. "You said it wasn't my fault!"

"Wait, what?" Ness interrupted with a frown, looking at Lucas with a look of horror. "Is that what really happened? Did you actually throw yourself in front of MOVING CAR?!"

"CLAUS!" Lucas yelped.

Catching the stubborn look on Ness's face, Claus sighed, then pinched the bridge of his nose. "We're talking about the accident that happened, like, in the beginning of the school year. Here's the five-second version: Lucas swore he saw an illusion of me standing on the road right before the accident."

Ninten paled. "He saw an illusion?"

Ness furrowed his eyebrows. "...That makes even less sense."

Lucas rubbed his head. "I was sick! Maybe I was hallucinating!" he rambled. "Maybe I was seeing things-"

"Or maybe you've been right all along," Claus finished gently.

"Maybe." Lucas spread his palms in frustration. "I just wish there was some way to remember what happened-"

"You can," Ninten said suddenly.

"...How?"

"Visual Telepathy."

Claus frowned. "No, I mean how would that _work_?"

Ninten shrugged. "The same way it works with speaking...or regular telepathy! You just - I don't know - let it go?"

"That's a _five-star guideline_ right there," Claus said sarcastically. "So I guess we all just take deep breaths, soothe our souls, and let the magic flow, huh?"

"No, Claus, this isn't yoga. Get on with the program," Ninten said irritably. "_Telepathy_ is the art of _syncing_."

"Sinking?" Ness repeated with a frown.

"Syncing with a _C_, not a _K_," Ninten corrected. He paused with a mischievous smirk. "Heh. See what I did there, Ness? A _K_? _Uh_-kay? _OKAY_?"

Ness roared with laughter, and Claus threw them both an incredibly exasperated look. "Can we stop fooling around and get to the point?"

"Spoilsport," Ninten muttered under his breath, but catching sight of Claus's irritated expression, hastily moved on. "So yeah, basically, if you want to sync with someone, you have to, you know, get intimate."

Lucas looked rather uncomfortable. "Get intimate?"

Claus wrinkled his nose. "Ew, no."

"I didn't mean to say it like that!" Ninten defended, turning a beet red. "I mean, well for starters, it's easier to telepathize the closer you are to someone."

"Mentally, or physically?" Claus asked warily.

"Both. Direct contact usually works best." Ninten indicated towards his forehead. "Holding hands works fine too." A pause. "No homo."

Claus rolled his eyes. "Geezus, Ninten. You don't have to lie."

Ninten paused in confusion. "I don't have to...Huh?"

"None of us give a shit about your sexual orientation. Seriously, you don't need to cook up some cock-and-bull story just to tell us you're gay-"

"GODDAMNIT, CLAUS! I'M NOT GAY!" Ninten yelled indignantly, his ears a bright red.

"You said holding hands works fine-"

"I SAID NO HOMO!"

Claus smirked. "Don't deny it. You just want to hold hands with someone because you never really stood a chance with Ana."

Ninten blanched, and Lucas internally winced at his friend's hurt expression.

"Claus," Ness intervened, furrowing his eyebrows. "Uncool."

Claus rolled his eyes. "I was just kidding, Ness. Loosen up." However, the ginger slyly spouted a mischievous smirk, then gleefully cupped his hands over his mouth. "Ninten's GAAAAAY-"

Looking extremely pissed off, Ninten looked about two seconds away from punching Claus in the face, but Ness hastily intervened before the "let's-sock-Claus-in-the-face" tally could rise to two.

"Let's get this over with," Ness interrupted, quickly throwing a side-glance at Lucas.

Thankfully, the blond got the gist, and nervously sat down. "So, uh, is there a special way we need to hold hands?"

"No." Shooting Claus a last glower, Ninten spoke through gritted teeth. "WE. JUST. HOLD. HANDS."

"Which sounds pretty cool," Lucas added, shooting Claus a silent warning.

Rolling his eyes, Claus ignored the warning. "Oh, _goodie_. Let's hold hands around a campfire and sing Kum-ba-yah-"

"If you don't want to join, then sod off," Ninten snapped testily. "I'm serious, Claus. Visual Telepathy is _extremely_ sensitive, because transferring memories is much harder than you think it is."

"Besides, Lucas is a beginner - no offense, Lucas," Ness added hastily, to which Lucas responded with a polite nod. "So it's pretty important that we don't disrupt his concentration with too many thoughts."

"Too many _distracting_ thoughts," Ninten added, throwing Claus a glare.

"Yeah. I know, I know." Claus crouched down sullenly. "I was just kidding."

_"Sure,_ you were." Ninten closed his eyes, settling into his domain. "We are entering sensitive territory. Breathe in. Breathe out. Okay, good. Now hold hands with whoever's sitting next to you - yes, like that."

In a rustle of movement, they awkwardly extended their arms to clasp each other's palms. With Ness on his right and Claus on his left, Lucas intertwined his numb fingers with theirs, trying to ignore how stupid he felt. Luckily, the blond didn't have to wait long.

Exhaling a deep breath (_Drama Queen,_ Claus muttered), Ninten gave a single nod. "Lucas, whenever you're ready."

Smiling weakly, Lucas closed his eyes. At first, he saw nothing, except for the occasional ocular vein pulsating beneath his eyelids. But he knew there was something else in the corner of his mind, a pocket that had yet to be explored, and Lucas tensed, straining to connect their mental links together...

_This feels so weird,_ Claus commented as soon as his mind slid into place. _It's like we're talking...but not talking at the same time._

_I know what you mean, _Ness agreed.

_Guys, keep it down, _Ninten whispered in his mind. _You're doing great, Lucas. R__elax. You're tensing up too much._

Lucas corrected his stance. He breathed in deeply. "Here goes nothing..."

A spark of blue. Then the world melted and transformed around them.

The flow of memories blurred past in an incomprehensible babble of speech and flurry of indistinguishable colors. All four of them tumbled through the mental highway of thoughts, catching meaningless snatches of past settings and memories.

_"I love you," Hinawa whispered._

_"Stay safe," Flint rumbled._

_"Lucas. Run. Save yourself!"_

_"You must make a choice. __You must make a choice_. _You must make a choice_..."

Finally the background solidified. The school building erected itself brick by brick like a flurry of flying particles, and students materialized instantaneously from thought matter. All four boys blinked as they stood in the memory of that fateful day.

Two blond boys in front of them caught their attention.

Pokey and Lucas.

Staring at the smirking past illusion of his former friend, Ness tightly gripped his fists. Likewise next to him, his companions looked none too happy to be reliving the memory. Claus hissed, clenching his jaw, and Ninten said nothing, only opting to narrow his eyes into sharp slits.

Lucas's past self looked awfully flushed, although that could be attributed to the fact that he just had run several meters with a dodgeball in his hand.

"PSI fever," Lucas clarified quietly, making all of his friends jump in surprise.

"Damn. No wonder you were in critical condition," Ninten said, staring at Lucas's exhausted double. He pointed. "It looks like your fever got worse."

"Why is Pokey staring over your shoulder?" Ness suddenly asked.

At once, they all turned around. Ness was right; every now and then from their game of catch, Pokey would glance surreptitiously over Lucas's shoulder. Lucas, with his back to the fence, didn't seem to have noticed Pokey's antics.

_"Hey, dweeb,"_ Pokey suddenly broke out. He pointed at the road. _"Isn't that your brother?"_

Lucas's past self turned around. His eyes widened in surprise. _"Claus?"_

"No way," Claus breathed. The ginger looked lost for words, staring stupidly at his replica, which was waving cheekily at them from the middle of the road.

Ninten looked equally horrified. "No..._he wouldn't-_"

But Lucas's past self began to speak again, and they immediately quieted down.

_"Claus, what are you doing on the road?"_

_"What do you think I'm doing?" _the doppelganger chimed out, flashing them a horrifyingly accurate likeness of Claus's mischievous smirk.

_"Coach Strong said not to climb the fence-"_

_"Pssh, please, Lucas. Rules are made to be broken."_

_Please, Claus,"_ Lucas begged desperately._ "Seeing you stand on the road makes me really uncomfortable. Climb back!"_

"Claus" slyly threw him a look. _"Why don't you make me?"_

Without missing a beat, Pokey quickly jumped into the conversation. _"Lucas, go get your idiot brother out of the road before he gets himself rolled over or something." _The chubby boy snatched the dodgeball from Lucas's hands. _"I'll stay here and keep an eye out for Coach Strong."_

Filled with growing trepidation, the four of them intently watched as Lucas's past self slowly dragged himself over the fence, all the while sending desperate pleas to his twin, which "Claus" promptly ignored.

But as soon as Lucas's feet grazed the sidewalk on the other side, they caught sight of a flash of red down the corner of the street.

A wayward truck.

To their collective horror, the shrill noise quickly grew louder into a grating roar, and the vehicle barreled down the harsh cement in a deafening squeal of rubber tires. The truck was closing in at an alarmingly rate, plowing down the rocky terrain in fierce abandonand heading exactly where the giggling doppelganger stood on tipsy feet.

_"CLAUS!" _Lucas screeched in panic, bolting towards him. _"Behind you!"_

But the doppelganger only laughed, his form piercingly illuminated by the headlights of the car. _"Nice try, Lucas, but I'm not falling for your trick!"_

None of them needed to watch the scene to know what happened next.

**_NO!_** The real Claus wanted to scream, but alas, he could only watch helplessly as his brother's past self desperately dived forward to snatch the doppelganger out of danger...

Lucas's hands had sailed straight through the illusion.

Blue eyes widened first in shock, next in fear, then in sickening realization.

_"Goodbye, Lucas," _the doppelganger whispered, laughing maliciously and winking out of sight.

Then with an awful _screech_, the fender of the car brutally buried itself into his side.

The forceful impact knocked the poor boy into the air like a rag doll. Lucas winced as he watched his past self crunch straight onto the windshield before noisily tumbling off the roof of the truck and rolling onto the ground.

Lucas's breath hitched in his throat. A strange feeling coursed through his veins; everything seemed awfully detached to him as though he had not witnessed himself, but instead, watched someone else get hit by a truck...

Vaguely registering the drunk driver bolting out of his truck to flee in panic, Lucas finally turned towards his friends. "Well, at least we now know what happened. So I guess I wasn't dreaming after...all..." His voice died at his brother's expression.

Claus's face was a sickly, pale white.

Lucas's eyes traced his twin's blank stare, then winced again. He'd known how bad his injuries had been, but up close, the wounds seemed much worse.

His own battered body was caved in at the point of impact. Both legs were twisted underneath his form in grotesque, inhuman angles. Blood leaked from his mouth, his arms, his ears...

And worst of all, his eyes were still open, gazing into the sky with an awfully blank look.

In short, Lucas looked _dead_.

Alarmed, the blond lost all concentration, and flailing, cut the unnerving memory short. Colors flew and swirled around them in a roar of confusion, then blinking in disorientation, they were back underneath the starry cottage roof in Saturn Valley.

Claus still carried that pasty-faced expression as if a bloodthirsty dragon had savagely ripped his arm off. Next to him, Ninten didn't seem to fare any better, looking completely horrified as though someone had bashed in his skull with a porcelain lamp. Even Ness seemed extremely disturbed, and his eyes flickered feebly back and forth as if he had just witnessed his worst nightmare.

Lucas shifted. "Guys," he said gently. "It's only a memory-"

"Lucas, you don't understand," Ness laughed shakily, finally latching his gaze onto him. "It might've just been a memory to you, but with the EMT arriving on scene and all...you really gave us a big scare that day."

"Oh." Lucas swallowed hard. "...Sorry."

"Why the hell are you sorry?" Claus finally spoke. His snarky voice sounded unusually subdued. "Don't be."

"...I visited you at the hospital several times to heal your injuries, Lucas," Ness spoke quietly. He hesitated. "Ninten told me that he did the same, but-"

"Many of your critical wounds were already healed. Your body must've healed itself," Ninten finished bluntly. "You were extremely lucky, Lucas. There's a reason PSI users have a high mortality rate, and many of us die before our powers are awakened."

Lucas paled. "Why?"

"PSI fever. Can't be healed by any means, magical or otherwise." Ninten halted uneasily. "If you didn't recover from your other injuries in time, then there was a pretty good chance that you might've even _died."_

"Dude, Ninten, don't scare him," Ness defended with a frown, noting Lucas's terrified expression. "So, uh, Lucas...what's up with that illusion?"

Lucas stared at his hands. "I don't know," he admitted quietly. "I don't remember eating anything funny that day-"

"I think it was Giygas."

All eyes flew to Ninten.

"Are you sure?" Ness pressed.

"When I was unconscious, Giygas gave me some haunting news through telepathy," Ninten said dully, looking slightly nauseous. "He can create illusions."

Claus stiffened up. "He can _what_?"

"I think he's gone insane. It's almost like he's possessed." Ninten shuddered. "His mind was unraveling. Nevermind that, his mind felt _really_ unstable. I don't know if something else is really messing with his brain, but he's dead set on believing that my dead great grandmother's not, well...dead..."

Ness threw him a cautious look. "How do you know? Maybe it's an act to throw you off-guard-"

"It wasn't an act. Trust me, Ness. I could tell." Ninten's face looked extremely haggard. "But whatever the reason, Giygas wants both of you badly," Ninten said shakily, turning towards the twins. _"Real _badly."

Claus exchanged a troubled look with his brother. "That badly?"

"I would say that on a scale from one to ten..." Ninten laughed without mirth. "One-hundred."

A look of utter horror dawning on his face, Claus sank into his knees and stared at the floor. "...Damn."

Lucas lowered his head. "You guys should return home," he spoke quietly. "Giygas wants us, not you."

"Hell no! We're not starting this again!" Ness suddenly shouted, furiously leaping to his feet. He stubbornly clasped a fist to his chest. "I have PK Rockin'. It's strong enough to fend him off. If he finds us, I can buy us enough time. When I distract him, all of you can sneak back to the city and hang low-"

"Forget about it, Ness. Giygas is too powerful," Ninten laughed in a hollow voice. "He's my uncle. If you lead the others home somehow, I'll try to reason with him through telepathy-"

"Reasoning with an insane loony won't get you anywhere," Claus said darkly. "If Giygas wants someone with PK Love, then _fine,_ let him have it! I'm turning myself in!"

Ninten and Ness immediately countered him furiously.

"NO! Claus, that's exactly what he _wants-"_

"_You're_ insane if you think we're going to let _you_ leave the village-"

A sudden crackle of blue light drew their attention. The squabble ceased.

Lucas stood in the center of the room, a halo of glowing blue hexagons shimmering in his right palm. The light illuminated his pale features, reflecting against his bright, baby-blue eyes.

"Claus is right. Giygas wants someone with PK Love." Lucas's irises shone with despair. "But you haven't been able to use PK Love, Claus...I have."

"Shut up, Lucas!" Claus countered angrily. "I can _too _use PK Love!"

Lucas stared at him with an unusually strained expression. "Prove it."

With the silent challenge having been uttered, all eyes fell upon the elder twin.

"Y-Yeah, fine! Maybe I will." Swallowing down his trepidation, Claus slowly raised his shaking limbs. Despite his best efforts, his hands trembled violently in uncontrollable spasms. "PK Love!"

Blue sparks flickered feebly in his fingers before dying anticlimactically.

"SHUT UP! I can do it!" Claus shouted, staving off his dread. "PK Love!"

Nothing happened.

"THAT ONE DIDN'T COUNT! PK Love!"

Nothing.

"PK LOVE!"

Still nothing.

"I SAID, PK LOVE, GODDAMMIT!" Claus screamed. "PK LO-"

"Stop it, Claus!" Lucas cried. Clutching his sides, he choked horribly on twisted guilt. "It's my fault. It should've been me, and I'm so sorry I dragged you into this, guys, I really am-"

All of them opened their mouths to argue, but Claus beat them to it.

"Don't say it!" Claus clenched his jaw. "DON'T YOU DARE SAY IT-"

"Claus," Lucas strained in a weak voice. "I'm putting you all in danger-"

"SHUT UP! You're staying, and it's final!"

"But what if it's the only way-"

Claus advanced on him with a murderous expression on his face. "Lucas, don't make me angry," he warned in a dangerously low tone. Clenching his fists, his voice quickly escalated into a deafening clamor. "DON'T FORCE ME TO MAKE YOU STAY!"

"THEN MAKE ME!" Lucas burst out angrily, looking extremely defiant as he stared up into his brother's furious face. "Why is it only okay if _you_ want to sacrifice yourself? Why won't you let me do the same for you, Claus?!"

A frustrated howl of agony escaped from Claus's lips.

Breaking down completely, Claus suddenly let loose another deafening bellow like a tortured animal, all reason lost, then sent his fist sailing towards his brother's head. Lucas flinched, but at the very last minute, the palm sailed around him by a wide arc and slammed against the wall. The wall noisily caved in at the point of impact with a nasty _crunch, _shattering and cracking the crisp plaster into a shockingly webbed crater.

The elder twin finally exploded.

"DAMMIT, LUCAS! WHY DO YOU KEEP DOING THIS TO ME?!" Claus screamed, tearing viciously at his hair. He whipped his head around, and they were shocked to see angry tear tracks trailing down his face. "WHY CAN'T YOU UNDERSTAND? WHY CAN'T YOU SEE THAT I DON'T WANT TO LOSE YOU AGAIN?!"

Lucas froze.

Stunned silence.

No one dared to say a word.

Then a snarky voice interrupted the proceedings. "Go fix the past, they said. It'll be _easy_, they said."

Time unfroze, and as one, all of them whipped around. BuzzBuzz stared back at them in utter agitation. "Man...You guys really are a mess, aren't you?"

They lowered their heads in shame. Flushing in embarrassment, Lucas averted his eyes to the ground. Claus scowled, but said nothing more, angrily wiping away the tears from his face.

Ninten looked up in confusion. "Who's that?"

Realizing that Ninten had not been introduced yet, Ness hunched over uncomfortably. "Oh," he muttered under his breath. "He's our…uh…"

"Fairy god-mother," BuzzBuzz answered sarcastically. "Oh, don't mind me, I'm just your local bodyguard sent ten years into the past to make sure you guys don't screw up and accidently end your lives along with the fate of the world. Mostly the latter; I couldn't care less about your lives."

"Really?" Ninten asked innocently. "I couldn't have guessed it myself."

Ness shrugged. "Don't take offense; he's kinda sarcastic."

BuzzBuzz sighed, flickering back and forth. "Listen. At this point, it's safer if you all stay together. Yes, I know-" he said in exasperation, cutting Ninten off before the latter could speak. "I _know_ Giygas is your uncle. I _know_ Giygas is after one of you two-" he pointed at Lucas and Claus. "Great glorps, did you think I _couldn't_ hear you panicking like a herd of stampeding sheep? Mother Maria, we're all probably gonna die anyway to your thick-headed stupidity!"

"Gee, thanks, BuzzBuzz," Ness muttered.

"I'm not gonna lie, we're in a bit of a fuzzy pickle," BuzzBuzz continued matter-of-factly. "But if you stick together, you have a higher chance of survival...Even though you're all over-sensitive, hormonal teenagers with a pathetic excuse of a brain cell."

"Over-sensitive, hormonal teenagers?" Ninten looked hurt.

"Pathetic excuse of a brain cell?" Claus sputtered indignantly. "What the hell, who do you think you are-"

BuzzBuzz gave him a look. Because he was so tiny, it was hard to make out his expression, but Claus caught the gist. "…Right," he muttered resentfully. "Time-traveling fairy god-mother and all that crap."

Breathing deeply, BuzzBuzz took off his miniscule helmet. His tiny fingers fiddled idly with his kerchief. "Look, I appreciate your noble acts of selflessness, but there's no need for a suicidal sacrifice," he grumbled. "Stick together. Safety in numbers. Trust me, by now, all of you are formidable foes. Giygas would have to think twice before messing with you."

Then as if to counteract this boost of confidence, BuzzBuzz's features knitted into a scowl. "That doesn't mean we're going to have a happy ending," he snapped. "Knowing all of you, _someone's_ going to get butthurt - LIKE RIGHT NOW - and get us all killed."

He glared pointedly at the twins.

"No, we're not!" Lucas and Claus blurted out simultaneously before whirling around to stare at each other in shock. They quickly turned away in resentment.

Ninten studied BuzzBuzz curiously, even drawing in to squint at the fairy-like person. "Are you _sure_ we've never met? You look _really_ familiar..."

"Irrelevant point," BuzzBuzz grunted. "Now, before I lose my sanity completely, do we have any new leads on Giygas?"

They all shared a glance.

BuzzBuzz sighed, dragging a palm down his face. "Look, I know you don't trust me, but I can't exactly save your necks if I'm in the dark. My timeline diverged from yours a while back. Fill me in."

Reluctantly, Ninten fished out a dirty, crumpled piece of paper. "Lucas and I found this at the facility," he mumbled.

Snatching the wrinkled paper into his hands, BuzzBuzz smoothed it out, and studied it with a frown.

**_"The disease is resistant to PSI. Any attempts to heal the suffering victim with PSI Life UP or PSI Healing is temporary. Death is inevitable..."_**

**_"...She is growing weaker by the day. I can feel it. Every night, I sit by her bedside, clutching her hand, and her pulse grows ever weaker. She is dying, and there is nothing I can do to stop it..."_**

**_"...Seven Needles. The Shaman mentioned that the tremendous power needed to pull a Needle stems straight from the heart, which explains why only PK Love users are destined for such a task..."_**

**_"...under New Pork City..."_**

**_"George told me that my nephew, Ninten, can also use PSI. This is it. This is the moment the Shaman had been speaking of. I must find another job to blend in, to keep a closer eye on this remarkable generation of people in this city..."_**

His gaze glued to the bottom of the page, BuzzBuzz paused. His eyes widened. "This is bad. Really bad. Hell, it's a bigger problem than I thought."

"Why?"

BuzzBuzz shoved the piece of paper back into a bewildered Ninten's hands. Startled, Ninten looked up into a pair of surprisingly warm, brown eyes.

Something seemed to click between them.

The time traveler suddenly winced, turning away with a pained grimace. "Stupid, future-past alterations giving me headaches...Damn it, what the hell did you do now, Ninten?"

"Giygas isn't thinking straight," Ninten said quietly. "He might be innocent."

BuzzBuzz scowled. "Maybe. Maybe not. I can't tell, my brain needs _time_ to catch up to these recent events, and _dang_ _it,_ in the first five seconds I've met you, all of you are already making my job _extremely_ complicated!"

"What's going on?" Ness asked, feeling very lost.

"You wanna know what's going on, Ness? Five words." BuzzBuzz's face darkened. "I. Have. No. Fucking. Idea."

"Well, that's mighty helpful of you," Claus broke out sarcastically.

"Shut it, gingersnaps," BuzzBuzz snapped. "I need time for all of your stupid time alterations to catch up to my brain, but it looks like Giygas is getting desperate-"

"Desperate for what?"

"...and if he manages to pull the 7th Needle, then it's _Game Over_ for us," BuzzBuzz muttered under his breath, ignoring Ninten's question. Snapping his head up, BuzzBuzz abruptly jabbed a finger towards the window. "I'm changing the subject; it's turning stale. Do you all see that waterfall in the distance?"

Ness cocked an eyebrow. "What does that have to do with-"

"Just answer the damn question!"

"...Yeah?"

"That's Grapefruit Falls."

Ninten's face blanched. "_What?_"

BuzzBuzz crossed his arms in a scowl. "While you four have benn screaming it out, I've been talking to the Mr. Saturn about our loaction. Apparently, above that waterfall lives a rather strange man the Mr. Saturn fear. His name is..." BuzzBuzz's eyes flickered to Ninten's. "The Shaman."

All four teens reacted at once.

"He's the Shaman? Like, _The_ Shaman?" Ninten stammered, glancing at the piece of paper in his own hands. "Then-"

"Great!" Ness's face brightened up in determination. "According to this journal entry, he's been the one predicting all these events! He should know what's going on!" He abruptly stood up, waving his arms excitedly. "What are we all waiting for? Let's plan out a route to Grapefruit Falls and ask for-"

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" BuzzBuzz snapped.

"But he knows the answers to everything!" Ninten added desperately. "The quicker we consult him, the better!"

"Haven't your parents taught you anything?" BuzzBuzz roared, cutting in impatiently. "_Don't talk to strangers!_ This isn't some dandy high-school field trip to the mall, this is a SERIOUS excursion that could either mean LIFE or DEATH. Are you _really_ going to invest your trust into a man you've never even met yet?!"

"You're one to talk!" Ness demanded with a scowl. "You haven't told us anything since you've arrived, and we're all as confused as heck! How can we trust you? We don't even _know_ you!"

BuzzBuzz flippantly waved away his words. "Well then, you're _wrong_, because I know you _very_ well. There, point moot. Geezus," BuzzBuzz grunted, fisting his own hair into knots. "If you're going to debate, at least make your claims _reasonable_. But whatever, I'm giving you four the bottom line: No one is trekking up to see this _Shaman _until _I _give the say so."

"But-"

"NO."

"BuzzBuzz think again-" Ninten started.

"Think again? Two words, Ninten. TWO WORDS: HELL. NO." BuzzBuzz glowered at them dangerously. "End of story. You want me to say it again? HELL. NO. Now, does anyone else have a problem with this decision?"

They all looked like they certainly had a problem with it, but glancing at BuzzBuzz's intimidating scowl, all four teens reluctantly settled into simmering silence.

_Who knew that a miniature speck of a man could be so intimidating?_

"Good. Ness, heal that god-awful burn on your leg," BuzzBuzz finished flatly, turning around. "Now everyone out. Get some sleep. You all need it."

As they sullenly filed out of the living room, Claus stopped when a telekinetic hand clamped onto his shoulder.

"Not you."

Claus quirked a bemused eyebrow in response.

In exasperation, BuzzBuzz ran a thin hand through his unruly, black hair. "Come with me," he finally broke out. "We need to talk."

Without awaiting his response, the tiny pixie-man floated through the now-open window. After a moment of hesitation, Claus reluctantly followed him outside.

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

The blizzard seemed to have cleared. Soft snowflakes floated down and melted at their feet in a frozen puddle. Shutting the door, Claus shivered, and hugged himself in warmth.

BuzzBuzz breathed in deeply. "I've forgotten how beautiful the starry night looks," he sighed rather fondly. "Everything is so goddamn black and red in the future."

"Are you dragging me out here to tell me about your hippy love for nature?" Claus muttered sullenly, clearly not in a good mood. "Go talk to someone else."

BuzzBuzz's eyebrows scrunched into a deep frown. "You really want to make this difficult, don't you?"

Claus said nothing.

"Fine, I'll get to the point," BuzzBuzz said flatly. "You wanna know something, Claus? You're an asshole."

"Gee, thanks, I already know!" Claus snarled, crossing his arms. "Save the lecture, I'm going to bed-"

"Will you let me finish?!"

Claus shut up.

"Good. As I was saying, you're an asshole." BuzzBuzz raised his eyebrows, daring Claus to interrupt, but the ginger only fumed in simmering silence. "But strangely enough, your heart's always in the right place, even though your brain could use some work-"

Claus rolled his eyes. "Thanks."

"-WHICH IS _BAD_!" BuzzBuzz bellowed, making Claus jump from the sudden volume. The PSI veteran crossed his arms in a disapproving scowl. "Look, Claus, we're in a war. And in a war, do you know what gets you killed? NOT THINKING. And unfortunately, you tend to do a whole crap ton of that whenever your twin's stuck in peril."

Claus scowled back. "Oh, so am I supposed to watch Lucas get himself killed?!"

"Think, Claus, THINK. First Giygas tried to run your brother over with a drunk driver. When he realized that you two could be _useful_, he blackmailed you by almost _strangling_ him. Then he drugged him sky-high with shrooms, and entertained himself by _watching _you flail your miserable ass down his research facility. Do you see a pattern here?"

"...Lucas is accident prone?"

"CLAUS, THIS ISN'T ROCKET SCIENCE!" BuzzBuzz snapped. "Giygas is clever. He knows how to rattle you!"

"ME?" Claus looked aghast. "Why would be want to rattle me?"

"Why you? WHY _YOU?!_" BuzzBuzz's face darkened, drawing serious shadows slanting across his face. "Giygas has turned into an utter madman. An insane loony we can't bargain with, let alone have a nice parley with. He will take absolute pleasure in inflicting ANY sort of pain he can onto the four of you, AND THAT MEANS YOU SHOULD NOT GIVE HIM THE SATISFACTION OF LETTING HIM TOY WITH YOUR FEELINGS!" BuzzBuzz bellowed, jabbing a finger into the teen's chest. "Once Lucas is in danger, ZIP- your mind goes blank and YOUR BRAIN FLIES OUT THE GODDAMN WINDOW. That makes _you_ vulnerable to his whims!"

"Oh, is that a problem now?" Claus laughed sarcastically. "My bad, I'm _so_ sorry for actually caring about the one person who _doesn't_ think I'm an asshole. Here, let me waltz back into the house right now AND TURN HIM IN!"

"DAMN WRONG!" BuzzBuzz shrieked, all patience lost. Mad anger blazed in his eyes. "BRAIN OVER HEART, CLAUS! BRAIN OVER HEART! If you really want to protect your brother, then you can't let your feelings control _you!"_

"I CAN CONTROL MY GODDAMN FEELINGS PERFECTLY FINE WITHOUT YOU!" Claus screamed, clenching his fists in fury.

"OH YEAH? YOU CALL _THIS, _CONTROL? FINE!" BuzzBuzz spat, trembling in pure rage. "Then tell me, Claus! Why the hell do you suck ass at PK Love? HUH?"

"Lucas knew it longer-"

"WRONG, AND DEAD WRONG AGAIN!" BuzzBuzz screamed, jabbing a finger viciously in his direction. "It's because PK Love is extremely shit-sensitive to your petty, insignificant feelings! UNLIKE YOU, Lucas knows how to control his emotions. He accepts them and learns from them. YOU on the other hand, either push them away or LET THEM CONTROL YOU, EXACTLY LIKE WHAT YOU'RE DOING RIGHT NOW! And if you're too butthurt to admit that now, THEN HELL, YOUR BROTHER'S DEAD CORPSE MIGHT BE THE PRICE OF YOUR OWN GODDAMN STUPIDITY!"

Claus's blanched. All the color rapidly fled from his face.

Breathing deeply, BuzzBuzz turned away, closing his eyes and setting a palm on his forehead. "...Meeting adjourned. I'm taking watch. Go back to the house."

Without another word, BuzzBuzz activated his psionic jetpack and lifted off into the starry twilight.

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

"...Claus?"

"..."

Muffled voices filtered through the bedroom door. In moments, the wooden contraption slowly creaked open, and Lucas's footsteps tentatively resounded closer. "Claus, I-I'm sorry." His voice cracked. "I knew you were worried, but I never knew you were _that_ worried about me. I never should've said anything..."

"..."

"I don't blame you. You have every right to be mad at me. I was being really inconsiderate of your feelings and...I guess I really blew it this time, huh?"

"..."

Sounds of feet shuffling on the carpet. "But...I wanted to say...I wanted to say that I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to be angry at you...and I didn't mean to yell at you either."

"..."

"Claus? Are you sleeping...?"

"..."

Crestfallen disappointment. "O-Oh. Sorry, I didn't know you were asleep. Okay, I guess I'll talk to you in the morning. Night..."

The door gently swung shut with a soft click, shrouding a very much wide-awake Claus into total darkness.


	22. Chapter 22

**Author's Note: ****Heya guys! With this update, I bring both**** good and bad news.**

**Bad news: I'm sorry. ****This is a short chapter. *Runs away from mob of angry readers* I'm struggling to ease back into the flow of writing, so please bear with me DX And my Calc midterm is this Wednesday, so I should really be studying for that haha**

**Good news: I finished writing chapter 23 though, and it's a beast. ****I'm estimating that the finalized version will estimate ~9000 words, so hopefully that makes up for the ridiculously short chapter. **

**Other Bad news: Because of midterms, I'm gonna hold off posting Chapter 23 ****until I'm done taking ALL of my exams...which won't be until November 13. But you can expect a solid update sometime before December. And I also underestimated how much I could write - we will return to our main protags in chapter 25, NOT chapter 24. My bad. :x**

**I know it's a long wait, but t****hank you so much for being patient with my horrible writing slump. In return, I'll keep my updating promise and try not to die from exploding chemicals in my lab hooray**

**Answering reviews~**

**B33 Beep Beep Meow**: Dem feels indeed ;)

**Connor the speling pro**: Hey, what do you know, I did base that quote from Animal Farm. It's one of my favorite books of all time. And ahh, I would rather say that Ninten wanted to attract Ana's attention instead of caring about his own popularity - it was just a shame that Poo seemed so much better than him in everything AND knew Ana well (we will cover that next chapter) ;) And thanks for the conjugation/spelling check! I think I accidentally switched to present tense during the flashback -_-; Epic fail

And I haven't revealed who the Shaman is yet, so don't worry :) You haven't missed anything. Besides, BuzzBuzz is pretty grumpy, huh? XD Agreed; teens are hard to handle and Claus did need a reality check. Hopefully(?) he'll get over it. And thanks for the well-wishes, bruh. :) I appreciate it.

**PSIBoy: **Yeah, none of the protags are thinking rationally right now D: I really hope I didn't make them OoC, but I wanted to add friction because their journey so far had been much more tougher than they had expected. Being hungry and tired really messes up your mood, no matter how good-natured or strong you are. But they'll live...Possibly. Probably. Maybe. We'll just have to wait and see. :) Hmmm...about your spy theory and Fassad theory though...I'm not commenting yon either yet ;)

Hooray and yes, Claus really needs to get a hang of himself. Letting his emotions explode is very bad indeed...who know what kind of trouble he'll get into at this rate? And again, thank you for your kind words~

**Plushiepaw: **I'm glad you're happy that the fic will last longer. XD Generally, I think it's incompetence and inexperience on my part to accurately make an estimate, but hopefully that'll improve :) And yeah lol Ninten really has been pining after Ana for too long. How long has it been, at least four years?We'll see if Ana things work out in the end :) And no, you're right: Ninten only has asthma. I only added the weak health because (1) my brother has asthma and other minor health conditions (2) Not being able to breathe well impacts other parts of daily life (like exercise, etc.) that probably takes a toll on overall health in general. XD I think I'm looking too deeply into this though.

And yeah more twin angst wooo I'm a terrible person haha. Yeah, as trouble brews, Claus really needs to treat Ninten and Ness better D: Hopefully he'll change his attitude, but nobody knows...We'll just have to wait and see~ And thanks; I do try to add in subtle references every now and then, but I was afraid that Claus, Ninten and Ness's reactions to Lucas getting hit by a car was too blatant and cringeworthy haha. I'm glad you liked it though :) Nice theories about the Shaman by the way...very nice...but again, no spoilers ;) And as always, thank you for your consideration; I will do my best to update as soon as I can~

**Shimo no ko**: Ahhhh stahp it, you. XD I'm here to improve my writing skills, because, oh man, only lord knows how awful my writing style used to be. But I really appreciate that you like my fic :) Many thanks, and hopefully future chapters don't disappoint~

**DarkFoxKit**: Yeppers, that was one emotional chapter. Sometimes I get a little too passionate with my writing that my feelings just explode over the page (which is a pretty bad habit I'm trying to fix haha), hence the flood of angst, but I definitely agree; teens can be a handful to manage sometimes! Granted, I'm one myself, but still...And hopefully Claus can control those emotions and use PK Love in the future. Who knows? We'll see ;) BuzzBuzz is such a Buzzkill though. And haha no, thank _you_ for your support :)

**A Fan**: I understand your confusion :) I cleared up some extraneous information in Chapter 21 to make it flow better, and to answer your thoughts, yes, it's quite hard to see where this story is going now, isn't it? XD But rest assured that the future chapters should bring you peace. Thank you gladly for your criticism~ And to answer the rest of your questions...oh dear. You have certainly placed me in an uncomfortable position, because you seem to know exactly what to pick apart. I can't say much about BuzzBuzz without ruining this chapter (especially about the use of the psionic jetpack), but I imagine him to be more of a human being aided by future technology than a "fairy-like" fantasical creature who can fly naturally. If this doesn't make any sense, hopefully this chapter can shed a little more light on the topic (which will also be covered in the next few chapters). If not...feel free to comment again, and I'll see what I can do to improve the story for clarity:)

And haha in some sense, Claus does seem like a mean person, but he just has problems expressing his feelings. It's a strange concept, not knowing how to express your concern/worries to your loved ones without sounding like a jerk, but my dad acts just like this to us because of his childhood. But yeah between you and me...Claus can be a really big jerk every now and then ;)

**Guest**: Thank you most kindly, good sir ;) I will do my best to update as frequently as I can~

**Jujukins**: Yeah, Claus doesn't really cry, does he? I think it's also because Lucas is around - he doesn't want his brother to see him crying because he's supposed to be the "tough one." But Lucas wouldn't care all the same. :) And thanks! I really do try to keep up the character development, because it's one of my favorite aspects of story-telling. And yeah, no worries about being late! The bullying scene was meant to be painful to read. I had to re-read several times to be satisfied with the feelings it invoked. So, yeah, ahhh I'm sorry if it caused you pain D: And hey, cliffhangers are awesome, and you know it ;) I appreciate your enthusiasm for the fic! Hopefully the future chapters are worth the time :)

**Guest**: I feel you, man. It's awful when a friend won't tell you what's up and you clearly know that they're suffering D:

**Insert Name Here**: Aww geez, you flatter me. I don't know about "re-thinking life," but I'm just practicing my hand on writing XD English is some tough stuff, man. And ahhhhhhhhhh I'm sorry, I can't promise anything yet about Claus's possible(?) death. DX We will have to wait and see, my friend. ;) And haha I'm glad you like Ninten's "Okay" pun! Thanks for your support :)

**Angel-woof**: HELLO TO YOU TOO! :D Seriously, I totally understand if college is seriously taking away a lot of your time. Your GPA and life are more important than this silly little fic on Fanfiction ;) And oh, man, you have a tough schedule...but I know you can pull through :) Thanks for your well-wishes, and I hope the best of luck to your studies~

And no problem! My chapters are honestly getting quite long, so there's no need to re-review them again as a whole, and I totes understand that :) But hey, I didn't know about your spine defect, and yeah, while I can't relate, my brother has asthma and other minor health conditions D: So I figured Ninten should probably feel the same way about his life. Yeah, I like portraying Ninten as the "goofball," because (1) Ness's family background his this fic forces him to be more serious and (2) Ninten is the youngest (in this fic) and most immature of the four. And as for your conspiracy questions, we will find out about the impact of this strange disease this chapter, and as for what purpose the Seven Needles serve...that will be a prime topic in the next few chapters :)

Hooray for time alterations! Haha things are about to get REALLY confusing...The identity of the Shaman will also be revealed in due time, and your theory on BuzzBuzz's true identity is certainly interesting. But no spoilers ;) And haha you're absolutely right; Claus really needs to pull himself together, because Giygas's cat-and-mouse game has only just begun~ Lots of angst hooray

**[Insert Appropriate Disclaimer Here]**

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><p>"You promised you wouldn't hurt my nephew."<p>

The spirit hovered above, pausing at the tone of disapproval in his voice. Even from this distance, the man could feel those alien eyes boring into his skull. "And I have kept my promise."

"You showed them those visions...all those visions of his friends _dying_...and he's only a kid! Ninten's only _thirteen_!" Clenching his teeth, Giygas slipped out a cool, stone figure from his pocket. His fingers trembled over the smooth statue. "Maybe I should destroy you. Shatter you against the floor before your madness completely consumes me..."

"Now, now, Giygas," the spirit said, amused. An icy chill consumed his trembling fingers. "I have information that is relevant to your interests. Be rational."

"Mani-Mani, sometimes I wonder if you even _have_ my best interests at heart. You're manipulating me, aren't you? Just like you manipulated that poor student back at school to spy for you...Be sincere with me. What is your true purpose behind pulling the Seventh Needle?"

"Understand that I am not human, Giygas. I do not process these _emotions_ in the same way you strange humans do," the spirit whispered, appraising Giygas with its cold stare. "But regardless of my own ignorance, everything I have done was for your own good. I only sought to protect your nephew. By traumatizing the boy most soundly, he will think twice to meddle in our affairs. Threatening him was for the sake of his own safety."

"...Your warning could have been better executed...," Giygas mumbled.

"You are right not to trust me. I have fooled many men in the past, Giygas." The spirit flickered several shades of crimson before finally speaking once more. "But no other person has quite been like you. I am willingly putting in my life in your hands. Let me assist you. Let me help you."

"But I do not require your assistance..." Giygas suddenly wrenched a vase onto the ground; it shattered into a billion tiny pieces. "Leave me, _spirit_!"

"I cannot. As much as you hate to admit it, I am a part of you, Giygas. I am a part of _everyone._ I bring out the best in some and the worst in others: Vengeance. Ambition. Greed. Guilt."

"No..."

"Maria died so suddenly, didn't she?" Mani-Mani asked quietly. "A stubborn disease snatched away your poor, precious grandmother when she could have had many more years to live-"

"No..."

"Your PSI was too weak, too young then to stop the PSI-resistant disease. It kills you, doesn't it? To know that you could've saved her if you had the power you possess today-"

"NO. DON'T REMIND ME-"

"Imagine her here, Giygas. _Alive. _She would be so proud to see the world you are about to rebuild. A utopia without hunger. Without pain. Without violence. Wouldn't you do this for her?" the spirit whispered, fluidly curling around his spine like a content snake. "And all _you_ have to do is pull the Seventh Needle."

Giygas fell silent. "Are you sure Maria will be revived by pulling the Final Needle?"

"I'm positive."

"...And you will not harm my nephew?"

"Absolutely not. That would violate our treaty." The statue's eyes glittered innocently. "Think of how precious Maria is to you. She is worth any price to you, is she not?"

Giygas hesitated. "But whoever pulls the Needle-"

"Will ultimately die, yes."

Giygas paled. "I can't do this," he said shakily. "You're asking me to take a child's _life-_"

"Think of it as an honorable deed. Your nephew will be safe. He doesn't know PK Love-"

"But I cannot condemn the poor child and his twin to the same suffering of loss - it's not right!"

"Every good deed requires sacrifice. You are simply using one life to improve the lives of _millions,_" Mani-Mani whispered, and Giygas felt the sweet little nothings slither through his ears. "Your intentions are noble. People will understand. _Maria_ will understand. Do not despair, my good friend, for truly, despair is only for the weak."

In response, Giygas reluctantly hunched over in defeated silence. "...For Maria?"

"For Maria."

With a sigh of smoke, the spirit dissolved against his skin in wispy tendrils. Giygas's eyes rolled to the back of his head, and his arms violently jittered as if on cocaine. His stomach twisted unpleasantly against his rattling ribcage; teeth clattered, fingers shook. Then the statue in his lap blinked crimson once, leaving the possessed man to stare blankly at the floor.

"...Fool," the man whispered.

A sudden rasp jolted him out of his thoughts. The awful crackle of static savagely tore through the air, and an oily voice immediately followed, resounding through the old, weather-beaten speakers.

"The children have arrived in Saturn Valley."

"And...?" the possessed man growled dangerously, eyes flashing a brilliant blue. With a long-suffering sigh, he set a palm on his forehead. "Dear spy, I am running low on patience tonight. Ever since I _insinuated_ in harming his annoying nephew, my host has been starting to resist me."

"My apologies, I didn't-"

"You will do me well to spare me your groveling and get to the point."

The figure on screen gulped. "The t-twins!" the voice stammered. "It's important! We were wrong."

Giygas's voice lowered into a dangerously soft tone. "We were wrong _how?"_

"One of them _can't_ use PK Love. The older twin. Nasty temper, that red-head."

With a frown, Giygas reclined against the console. His lips curled distastefully. "I see. But the younger one can?"

"Y-Yes."

"It's a pity to know that after all this time, I've been tormenting the ginger for nothing...his emotional instability makes him so much more easier to ensnare." Giygas thoughtfully drummed his fingers against the tabletop. His fingertips gracefully glided over the polished wood, gently caressing the tough bark. "Very well. I suppose I have no choice but to announce a change in plans. Fetch me the younger one."

"The honey-blond?"

"Yes, him." His smile widened, stretching grotesquely across his shadowed face. "Tell me, Fassad. How much pain do you think _Claus_ can handle before he snaps?"

"What do you mean?"

"Feelings. Emotions. They make humans do such strange things. And you do know how I _love_ to play with my food."

Giygas's lips slowly curled into a wicked smile. He laughed quietly, sharp incisors glinting dangerously in the dim light. Swirling his wrist lazily into the air, Giygas mustered some PSI into his hand, then delicately breathed onto the crackling ball of purple energy. In a wisp of smoke, two tiny figurines slowly blinked up at him from his palm. As Giygas appraised them with a hungry eye, the younger shrank back in terror while the elder glared back at Giygas defiantly.

"What a fine _show _this will be. My, my, we should really ensure that the poor ginger loses his brother in the most _painful_ way possible..."

"Definitely." A shifty glance. "No offense, but why wait? We could take on all four of them right now-"

Suddenly, Giygas snapped his fist closed. In a soft scream of agony, the illusions violently dissolved to dust. "NO! _DO NOT INTERFERE._ Those bothersome pests are MINE, and I will do whatever I please." A hint of cold impatience entered his features. "I want to be entertained. Let them delude themselves. Let them think that they are finally safe from my clutches, so when the pin finally _drops_, I want to see the hope _suck _out of their faces when I snatch the blond away; I want to prolong their tortured looks of despair before I kill them all _very_ slowly. Besides..." Giygas's eyes narrowed into sharp, malevolent slits, and the man clasped his slender fingers together. "My judgement has never failed me, and I do not ever plan to fail, _Fassad_."

"Never have I doubted you for a second."

"As it should be," his superior drawled. "How is the little present I sent you?"

"In perfect condition, sir. He will distract them very nicely."

"Excellent. Now run along like a good little spy and keep a close eye on the party, will you? Things are just about to get _interesting_."

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><p>.<p>

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~oO0Oo~

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><p><strong>MissionLog_20XX<strong>

**_Username: CommanderNu**

**_MISSION_LOG:**

Pull the 7th Needle. Save the world from total destruction.

**_SubLog_1: [DAY1_12:02]**

Alternate timeline locked. Landing successful.

Accidently shrunk to size of bee. Overshot destination by 24 hours {Disregard}.

Proceed with mission. Connection with homeworld terminated in T minus 45 seconds...44 seconds...43 seconds...

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**_SubLog_2: [DAY1_16:13]**

Connections cut. Stranded in Saturn Valley. The subjects {Ninten, Ness, Lucas, Claus} have little knowledge of Giygas's plans. Low morale. Provide peptalk to boost confidence.

Total destruction of Planet Earth is inevitable.

Headache symptoms present. Predicted lifetime before bodily disintegration: 1200 HOURS.

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**_SubLog_3: [DAY1_21:45]**

Mechanical wings malfunctioning. Initiating psionic jetpack.

Subject {Claus} is extremely volatile and prone to lack of emotional control. Probability of learning PK Love is low. Negotiation is unreasonable. Abandon negotiation.

Must inform all subjects of the MISSION. AT ALL COSTS, DO NOT LEAK LOOPHOLE. Subjects {Ninten, Ness, Claus} may become uncooperative and pose as a threat to the MISSION.

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**_SubLog_4: [DAY1_21:50]**

I traveled back in time to save the world.

But my very presence is unraveling the fabric of the world. This alternate universe is literally crumbling to pieces. We have to find the last Needle and pull it before it's too late.

Every day, my friends' faces haunt my dreams: faces of those whom I have left behind for dead in my world, and faces of others whom may possibly die in this alternate future. Ana, Teddy, Lloyd have willingly sacrificed their lives for this cause, and now...it's finally my turn. I don't want anyone else to suffer my fate, to watch their loved ones die in front of their own eyes. So when the time comes, I can only hope that my death will be the very last casualty.

But deep down in my heart, I know that I'm terribly wrong. The Mission requires me not to care about my friends, but the guilt, the pain, the awful truth of _knowing_...it kills me with every passing second.

Someone else must die in order for everyone else to live.

Way back when, a friend once told me that to give up life was akin to failure. But now, I wonder if I've already failed. Is it the right choice to condemn the life of my friend for the cause of the world? Will the safety of hundreds justify the death of one?

...I'm not so sure anymore.

Whoever pulls the 7th Needle will pass on his heart to the Dark Dragon. I don't know who will end up pulling the final Needle in this universe, but either way, a painful price will be paid. I guess I've always suspected it all along, but the heavy weight of truth doesn't make my duty any easier to bear.

Life isn't merciful. Life isn't fair.

But the cruelest crime of all?

Life doesn't always end happily ever after.

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Do you want to permanently delete**_SubLog_4: [DAY1_21:50]** from archive?

**Y/N**

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**_System Processing...**

**_SubLog_4 deleted.**


	23. Chapter 23

**Author's Note:**

**Heya guys!**

**Holy crap. After some disastrous technical difficulties, I pulled an allnighter to pretty much retype the entire ****chapter from scratch (15,000+ without the A/N!). Forgive me if the quality isn't up to par - I was in quite a rush. I had to split the chapter because it was a monster, so double update hooray**

**While there are some important plot points, most of this chapter contains NECESSARY filler/fluff/fastfood. And religion because Ana.**

**Starting from today, I will be completely withdrawing from anything related to Fanfiction until Dec 17. This is because my finals are starting _this_ week. Since my ochem professor is also my research mentor, he checks my exam scores when he gets bored...which is all the time. So if I don't get an A, I'm in for a grilling haha**

**I'm gonna cut this A/N short to work on my ochem lab report due Monday. Then take a nap if I can. idk I'll find time for sleep later. oh geezus my fingers are shaking haha**

**Good luck with your exams!**

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><p><strong><span>Cranky Sky<span>:** Yes, Mani-Mani has an interesting game set up for out protags. Let's see if they can escape now. :) And ah, it's no sweat; I understand that we all get really busy at points. Thanks for reviewing. :)

**ConnorTheSpellingPro:** Haha good eye; I think I meant to write that Mani-Mani could process emotions the same way as humans do, but I must've accidentally cut the sentence off so it gives off the impression that "Mani-Mani can't process emotions at all." Oops :x. I will fix that...after my finals...And is BuzzBuzz really Ninten? We may never know, Connor. ;)

And no, I haven't watched Game of Thrones (even though I really want to)! I did buy _Way of Kings_, but it will remain unread until I finish exams. :( And interesting, you already have a prediction concerning the (your quote-on-quote) "Sacrifice one person to save the world" theory...I guess we'll just have to wait and see if it's correct. :)

**PSIBoy: **Thanks for the OoC check! Glad to know the characters weren't completely losing it (well technically, they were, but oh well). Again, I like your predictions, but I'm not spoiling anything. ;) And as for why I didn't vary the character deaths...we will see. ;) Or maybe I am simply trolling you with answers I don't have (jk, I swear I do have answers to your question haha). And who knows why BuzzBuzz is a jerk? Maybe he's a jerk because...he's a jerk? :D Wow I am trolling you hard today - my bad DX

No comment on Teddy, but Lloyd will appear next chapter along with some new characters. And thanks - I'm glad that you think my chapters are thought-provoking. *Throws confetti into the air* Hooray my rambling is not useless after all! And I feel you - new plot bunnies are the Devil. And LoL at the "Ganandorf is secretly ManiMani" conspiracy...Or should I say...LoZ? ;D Thank you for the exam well-wishes btw~

**Guest:** Hey there. :) Welcome to Fanfiction. I'm glad that you like my fic, but also feel feel to criticize it whenever haha! And ugh, gurl, I'm sorry, but I'm the WORST person to talk to about one-story commitment. D: It takes me a while to settle with a story I feel comfortable with (such as this one). But once I settle with one, the commitment comes. :) So make a plot, and see where you go. I'm not a writing expert (lol science major), but you already sound like you know what you're doing. Wish you luck~

**PollyannaMother3:** EXACTLY, EMOTIONS ARE HUMAN ARGGGH! *Inserts pirate-like accent here* And ahhhh thank you; your consideration and patience means a lot to me. :)

**Plushiepaw: **Speaking of chapter length, this one's a monster. DX Sorry about the inconsistency! And thanks for the exam well-wishes; luckily, Calc went pretty decently. :) All I have to do is study for finals~

No need to apologize for questions! It helps me realize if I'm doing something wrong, and it's especially important since we're not supposed to know what's going on until the next few chapters (Until Somewhere by ~Chapter 26). And yes, lots of death and sacrifice. LOTS OF IT. Wow...I shouldn't really sound excited to kill off my characters haha. Well, we'll see who dies off soon (wow that sounded oddly morbid). And hey, I love angst too. ANGST BUDDIES! (Again, I really shouldn't be excited about fictional pain and suffering, but oh well). And as for if the Masked Man will make an appearance...no comment. ;) As for BuzzBuzz's identity...we shall see. :) You had quite a few important questions that I'm sure other readers shared, so I will answer them systematically:

**(1) We will get an explanation to why Fassad is working with ManiMani (Somewhere Chapter 27-29)**

**(2) The emphasis on the final Needle will also be explained in a future chapter (Somewhere Chapter 26-27)**

**(3) ManiMani's motives for pulling the Final Needle will also be revealed in future chapters (~Chapter 25-27)**

**(4) _For the Power of Love_ will be divided into five parts, which means I'm diving the fic into five story arcs. Several chapters will fall under one arc. The story arcs are labeled in the chapter contents (oh lawd heaven forbid I write five fics)**

**DarkFoxKit: **Heya Fox! Yes, ManiMani is about to toy with the four boys. This will indeed be fun to write about :) And yes, you are doubly correct: the last half of Chapter 22 is spoken by BuzzBuzz, and so far, evidence suggests that either Lucas or Claus will die if they pull the Final Needle...which will also be explored in future chapters :)

**A Fan:** What can I say? Plots twists are my jam. ;) Haha oh gods, I laughed so hard at the first two sentences of your summary, by the way ("Ness, Ninten, Lucas, and Claus are trying to do.. something. I forgot what the point of them being there was.") Not because I'm being mean, but because YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT; this story has been designed so that readers don't understand what EXACTLY is going on until around ~ Chapter 26-28, where the punchline hits; but from around Chapter 22 onwards, several hints/plotlines will be dropped to confirm any suspicions. ...Or maybe I'm just a raving, sleep-deprived lunatic who has no idea what she's talking about haha. But yes, basically, you hit the nail on the head. ManiMani and BuzzBuzz are not on the same side, and they want to use Lucas for different purposes...or do they? *DUNDUNDUN*

AND IT'S OKAY READING INTO RANDOM LOG ENTRIES IS THE NUMBER ONE SIGN OF SANITY ;D

Oh lawd, have I mentioned that I love your sense of humor? I was reading over your "Eyes sparkling with innocence = evil" theory, and totally did a spit-take when you added _*may not apply to anime_. Ow my nose haha

And yes, so far Evil!Giygas sounds a lot like ClichedEvil!Giygas. He tries too hard to be cool D:

**[Insert Appropriate Disclaimer Here]**

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><p><strong><span>Setting<span>: Past**

There were foreign words. And foreign people.

And everything seemed so BIG.

The urban sprawl stretched as far as the eye could see. Skyscrapers loomed like narrow juts of metal, and Poo stared, pressing his hands against the glass. How was it _possible_ for buildings to be so large? If Poo didn't know of this knowledge beforehand, he would have sworn that PSI was involved.

_Eagleland,_ Poo thought, avoiding the sea of jostling bodies and stepping off the plane. _T__he famed international haven of prosperity._

Perhaps the sights should be awe-inspiring, or even thrilling, but Poo only felt a chill in his spine. Eagleland boasted of diversity; but while everyone was together, they were separate. No one bothered to talk to each other like they did in Dalaam. No one looked up from their weird, square-like devices with screens to interact with the wondrous world outside.

No one seemed to have time for anyone but themselves.

Selfish. Greedy.

Such seemed Eagleland.

_I want to go home. I don't belong here._

Strange sights and languages bombarded his doubly-heightened senses. People bustled around in even stranger clothes, and some of them talked loudly into equally stranger, square-like devices. The excitement in the air was almost palpable. Many weather-beaten immigrants huddled forth - refugees, job seekers, international students - desperately hoping to achieve the "Eaglelandian Dream."

_And now, I am one of them._

Poo wondered how many would end up achieving their dream.

He also wondered how many would fail.

Shaking the morbid thoughts out of his head, Poo studied the immigrants carefully. Many of them carried a box or a luggage bag in their hands, no doubt containing treasured memories of home.

But Poo had nothing with him. Nothing but the skin on his back and a sinking feeling of trepidation. His dark slanted eyes and coloration was so much more different from the prevalent blue eyes and pale skin of his peers, and for some reason, Poo felt very small.

Instincts kicked in, and taking a deep breath, the seven-year old concentrated on his meditation.

Calm. Composed. Clear.

Once a crown prince of Dalaam reached the magic age of seven, it was customary of the royal family to send off their heir into different countries without aid. Carrying material goods to start his journey was considered a violation of The Training.

_You have no more to learn here, Master Poo, _echoed the last words of his Sensei. The elderly man had inclined his head in thought. _Dalaam is a small country. To further your understanding of International affairs, I suggest that you set off for Eagleland and finish your secondary education there. Do you accept this request?_

_I do._

Jostled around by busy people of different ages and heights, the tiny boy instinctively reached for his PSI to contact his host family before checking himself; as far as Eaglelandians were concerned, PSI was not celebrated as a blessing, but treated as a freakish act of nature. In fact, Poo wasn't even sure if Eaglelandians knew that PSI existed. Using PSI could possibly produce severe repercussions.

Poo internally berated himself. Only seconds in his hostland and already he was making a mistake. His Sensei would be very disappointed.

"...Hello?"

Almost jumping out of his skin, Poo realized that the speaker was a young blond girl his age with…with _pigtails_? Or was it ponytail? Pigtails, yes, that was the term. Another blink, and Poo recognized the girl - she was the daughter of his host family.

Despite The Training, Poo couldn't ward off his panic. _She addressed me first...how do I react? What did page 30 of the guidebook cover on basic Eaglelandian greetings?_

"My name is Poo."

The girl stared at him blankly. Poo internally panicked harder.

_Wait, am I supposed to greet her first then introduce myself, or is it the other way around? Or maybe I raise my hand in the "wave"? Oh, why are Eaglelandian customs so confusing?!_

The girl suddenly broke out into a giggle. "Mom!" she called out with a wave. "I think I found him!"

A woman with blond curls hurried over, panting for breath. Her eyes were just as bright blue as her daughter's, but surprisingly filled with the kindness Poo could not catch in the Others. "Thank goodness! We couldn't find your boarding number and were worried that we might have missed you!" she greeted enthusiastically.

Once again, Poo was taken aback by the surprising warmth in her voice. "Pleased to meet you, m'am," he said shyly.

Another warm look. "The pleasure is mine, Puresu...Pu..." The woman threw him an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, I'm not the best with names." She checked the profile she was holding in her hand. "Puresukotto."

"Please, call me Poo, ma'am," he said, internally wincing at how the woman completely butchered his name.

"Poo?" The woman looked worried. "Are you sure you want to stick with your nickname? We can help you choose a more Eaglelandian nickname if you want. The children at school aren't at all very nice."

Poo thought about it hard. "No, ma'am," he finally said with surprisingly firmness in his voice. "My name is all I bring from my birth country. Nobody can tarnish it but I."

"So young, yet so wise at your age," the woman said softly. She laughed, ruffling Ana's hair. "I hope you can teach our daughter a thing or two about your polite manners," she joked. "My daughter has so much to learn from you."

Embarrassed, Ana swatted her mom's hand away. "Moooom," she whined.

Her mother stifled a grin. "Momma's just teasin'," she whispered gently, patting her on by the shoulder. "Now then, did you introduce yourself to your new friend?"

Ana's eyes widened. "Sorry, ma! I forgot," she squeaked, turning to him so quickly that her pigtails flew around her face. "It's nice to meet you, Poo," Ana said shyly, holding out a hand.

Wide-eyed, Poo stared blankly at the hand. Then he slapped it in a High-Five.

Ana giggled. "No, this is a _handshake_," she corrected gently, taking Poo's fingers and clasping them.

At her soft touch, Poo felt his ears burn. His throat turned dry. "Th-Thank you," he stammered.

Ana giggled again. "I already like him, ma," she said cheerfully, turning to her mother. "I know we're gonna be best friends!"

Poo's cheeks burned brighter.

Ana's mother put a gentle hand on her daughter's shoulder. "Poo looks a little overwhelmed, Ana," she said softly. "Don't scare him, now."

"It's all right," Poo managed to say. "I appreciate your warm hospitality."

"No need. Ana's our only child, so we thought it'd do her much good for her to hang around someone else her own age. She's incredibly shy! Maybe you can both learn new things and talk to new people." Ana's mother checked the time on her watch, then yelped. "Oh, will you look at the time! You must be so hungry after your travel, Poo!" she fussed, pushing the flustered boy out the airport.

Shyly, Ana scuffed her shoe before curiously asking Poo questions about Dalaam, to which he responded with gentle eagerness. The pleasantly warm feeling in his cheeks stayed, melting his heart and tingling in his toes.

_What is this new feeling?_

* * *

><p><strong><span>Setting:<span> Present**

"I have a good feeling." Poo gestured to the horizon. "This is the last mountain range before we hit the city."

Crossing her cold arms in a shiver, Kumatora grumbled. "Why can't we teleport over it?"

"I am out of PSI."

Kumatora didn't complain. To quicken their pace, Poo had teleported them several times throughout the day. To be quite frank, Kumatora thought it was a frickin' miracle that Poo hadn't already collapsed from the strain.

"You look tired." Kumatora abruptly halted. "We can take a break-"

"I am fine. We cannot afford to stay too long in the cold," Poo responded, his eyelids drooping wearily. The Dalaamese boy nudged forward, taking the lead.

Kumatora hesitated, then reluctantly dropped the issue. Again, she glanced back to check on the stragglers.

Despite his low endurance, Picky had managed to walk quite a distance before buckling from exhaustion and cold. Without a word, Paula had scooped him up onto her back, rejecting offers from both Poo and Kumatora herself.

"Poo, you look like you're going to fall over any second, and Kuma, you're guarding the front. I can carry him," was all she had said. But they had to be blind not to notice the fiery, over-protective glint in Paula's eye that was all-too reminiscent to that of a _very_ familiar ginger-head. Wisely, all objections were quelled.

Kumatora frowned. From the looks of it, Picky had long since fallen asleep on Paula's back. Faint conversation tickled Kumatora's ears; low, hushed words quietly passed between the two girls behind her.

Thinking back on it, Kumatora realized that all of her friends were boys. Not that she cared. Most of her time was spent working shifts as a waiter, hanging out with Duster, or training the wrestling team for the next tournament. At school, not many girls seemed to catch her sense of humor, which Kumatora honestly didn't mind. Personally, she thought that most of her classmates were dumb, boy-crazy bitches whose brains were filled with makeup and selfies.

But so what? Who cared if all of her friends were guys?

It didn't make her any different, did it?

Scowling, Kumatora kicked a pebble with her shoe. It sailed through the air, lodging itself into the dirt right below Poo's foot.

…and speaking of the Dalaamese boy, why was he glancing back so frequently? Kumatora frowned, watching the serious boy for–there it was again, that head-swivel. This time, she followed his gaze to see what he was looking at.

Or _whom_, to be more precise.

Kumatora's lips curled into a mischievous smile. Casually, she sauntered forward, slinging an arm around the shorter boy's shoulders. "Hey, Pee. How's it hanging?"

Poo gave her an exasperated look that almost made Kumatora feel bad for teasing.

Almost.

Poo wearily lowered his eyelids. "I do not understand your train of thought."

"She's pretty, isn't she?"

Poo snapped up to attention. Eyeing her warily, Poo carefully chose his words. "...Pardon?"

Suddenly distracted, Kumatora halted. "Wait, say that again."

"What do you mean?"

"That is one _wicked _accent." Kumatora let loose a loud laugh. "Man, I wish I had an accent. Yours doesn't sound Eaglelandian though…"

"No, it's not," Poo responded evenly. "I was conceived in a small country called Dalaam."

Kumatora felt a twinge of curiosity. "When did you come to the States?"

"When I was seven." Poo gave a wry smile. "As you can tell, my English is still far from perfect."

Kumatora stared. "You're kidding me. I wish I could speak another language _this_ well. Being bilingual sounds really useful." Kumatora shook her head. "But seriously, your English is pretty darn good."

"...Do I detect your use of the sarcasm?"

"No, I'm honest." Kumatora crossed her arms. "Have you read some of the essays I had to peer-review for class?" she grumbled. "Some idiots can't spell_anything_ to save their lives. What noobs. I can't believe they were_ born_ here."

Poo allowed himself a smile. "Your compliment is much appreciated, but I have much to learn. I attribute most of my success to Jeff, who tutored me in Eaglelandian vocabulary for quite some time."

A mental image of a dirty-blond kid with glasses popped up in Kumatora's mind. "Oh, the Chemistry nerd?"

"_Jeff_," Poo corrected stiffly. "Is a fine companion."

"I wasn't...nevermind." Deciding to change the awkward subject, Kumatora pinched the bridge of her nose. "Don't you ever miss home?"

Poo stared into the starry sky. "Sometimes," he said quietly. "I try to be as busy as I can, because it keeps my mind off of home."

"You could fly back over the summer."

"I cannot. I must stay here until I complete my secondary education, for it is the request of my Royal Advisor."

Kumatora did a spit-take. "_Royal Advisor_?"

"Eagleland is well-known for its International affairs. As the crown prince, it is extremely important that I learn as much about some customs before returning to my home country."

"Wait, wait, slow down. So let me get this straight." Kumatora looked completely incredulous. "You're the _crown prince_?"

Poo stared back at her seriously. "I am."

"Like, _the _crown prince?!"

"Yes."

Kumatora shook her head in bewilderment. "Don't get me wrong, but aren't like, _crown princes_, supposed to be protected by bodyguards and top-notch security? You know, so you don't get _assassinated_?"

"There is an old saying in Dalaam that we take very seriously," Poo said. "_A King who knows not how to fend for himself cannot be trusted to fend for his people_."

"...I think it's still politically irresponsible."

Poo only shrugged. "While I am the son of the King, the Royal Dalaamese Board of Advisors take more stock into character than into background. My death might complicate matters, but rest assured that the board can always select another heir."

"How long does _that_ take?"

"The process itself takes place over a few years. Dalaam has several potential heirs at the a time. When the current monarch is unable to perform his duties and steps down, the Board eventually selects one of these candidates to take over, along with the consent of the public. It is is a very intricate process."

"No shit. That's intense."

"Preferably, not being dead would be ideal," Poo agreed. "That is why I must be diligent at all times."

"...That doesn't sound like fun."

"Perhaps, but fun is not a necessity to survive," Poo answered in a heartbeat. "Duty. Dedication. Discipline. This is the way of the Mu."

"That doesn't sound efficient," Kumatora frowned. "Poo, sure, duty calls and responsibility is important and _blah blah blah_, but if you don't know how to have fun, you'll burn out. You need to learn how to relax."

"Relax...Do you mean meditating?"

"Like...doing something you actually _enjoy_."

"I enjoy meditating."

"No, I mean, you know, like having _fun _fun." Kumatora sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. How the hell was she supposed to define fun?

Poo suddenly started to laugh.

Kumatora frowned. "What's so funny?"

"Ness said the exact same thing to me many years ago."

"Wait, _Ness?_" Kumatora was unexpectedly surprised. "The baseball fanatic?"

"Don't underestimate him, Kumatora. He has his rash moments, but Ness is an extraordinarily deep thinker." Poo smiled, teeth gleaming merrily in a smile. "He is a very close friend of mine. I believe he was the first friend I met at school." He paused. "At least, I think he was the first person in class not to make fun of my name..."

Now Kumatora felt terribly guilty. "…Oh."

"Don't worry, Kuma," Poo responded gently. "I know you mean no harm."

Kumatora snorted, punching him in the shoulder. "Who said anything about _that_?" she muttered, turning away. "Enough of this stupid...sappy stuff. Let's talk about other things." Recalling her previous train of thought, Kumatora's wicked smirk returned. "I can tell that you care about Ana a _lot_," she said sweetly.

"Ana is the daughter of my host family."

"No, I mean that you two seem really, _really_ close. Don't deny it; you have feelings for her, don't you?"

Poo fell silent, but his burning cheeks gave all the answer Kumatora needed.

"Hah! I knew it!" she cackled, punching him in the arm. "Look, she's literally standing _right there_. Tell you what, I'll distract _princess_, and you can man up and fess your feelings. What d'you think?"

"I cannot entertain ideas of a romantic relationship."

"Why not?" Kumatora teased. "Or is somebody too scaaaaared?"

Poo turned away. "I am already engaged."

"...What."

Poo opened his eyes. "Several years ago, my parents arranged my future marriage with a princess of a warring tribe. As the crown prince of Dalaam, my people's needs take priority over my own." Poo hesitated. "I met with the princess once before when we were five," he said quietly. "She is not a bad person."

"Wait, so are you just going to _give up_?" Kumatora said incredulously. "That's bull. Why don't you tell your parents to call off the marriage? I bet they can find another way to keep the peace without involving _you_ in it-"

"It is a 150 year old feud."

"Well then...you can...you can-"

"I appreciate your effort, Kumatora, but it is not meant to be," Poo said gently. "Ana's heart already belongs to another."

Lost for words, Kumatora dropped her mischievous facade. "I'm sorry," she said quietly.

"No need to be sorry," Poo said softly. "Ana is wonderful friend, and if I could spend more time treasuring her friendship during my stay, then I will be very satisfied. It is an honor to have been taken in by such a gracious host family." A pause. "We have already spent enough time talking about extraneous affairs," Poo said gently, speeding up his pace. "The sun is already setting...Let us make haste."

Kumatora said nothing, silently letting the Dalaamese prince take the lead. Poo obviously sounded sincere, but strangely enough, Kumatora felt something tug painfully at her heart strings.

Wow. She actually felt bad for him. Kumatora, the Queen of I-don't-give-a-fuck-about-feelings, actually felt _bad_ for him.

What was the world coming to?

"Goddamn these onions in my eyes," Kumatora muttered, trudging after Poo's silent form.

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

"Paula, are you sure? You've been carrying him for a while-"

"No. I'm carrying Picky, and it's final." Paula threw Ana her _nothing-you-will-say-will-ever-change-my-mind_ look, and Ana knew better than to argue.

Ana dropped the subject. "You never told me you were good at handling kids," she said softly, watching Picky breathe in and out. "I don't think I would've had the patience to handle them..."

Paula merely shrugged. "My parents own a daycare, remember? And honestly, Picky's pretty mature for his age. At least, he's nothing like his older brother."

"I see...You seem to know him pretty well."

"I do. His parents are kinda unconventional, so they often stop by our daycare to drop him off because they don't feel like dealing with him. To be honest, I don't think Picky wants to go home either. He hides it well, but I've been starting to suspect some shady things about that family," Paula said quietly. "Like, haven't you noticed the bruises on his arms? They look like fingerprints."

Ana froze. "You don't think-"

"I do."

"...We have to help him."

Paula nodded. "Definitely, but we can't do anything until we get back to the city." She forced an apologetic smile onto her lips. "Sorry about all the depressing talk, Ana. I didn't mean to go all _serious-like _and freak you out."

"It's okay," Ana said softly. "It helps to let everything out."

Paula halted, readjusting her grip on the boy on her back. "Speaking of letting everything out, I know that something's been on your mind for a while. You know, if you want to tell me about it, it's okay."

Ana shot a nervous glance from the corner of her eyes.

Without catching the look, Paula understood. "Poo and Kumatora are too far ahead to hear us," she reassured softly.

In response, Ana fidgeted, playing with her fingers uneasily. "R-Right…"

Paula recognized the symptoms. Whenever the shy girl was in distress, Ana would surprisingly overcome her germaphobia and start chewing her fingernails. And right now, she was shredding through them like a paper cutter.

Paula decided to spare her the mercy of waiting. "I promise I won't judge."

Ana returned to killing five more minutes with even more nervous fidgeting before she timidly asked, "...Are you sure?"

"Gurl, please. I'm your fuuu-rend," Paula drawled, her Southern accent shining through. "Of course, you can tell me anything!"

Ana laughed, even though she still looked slightly nervous. "I know, but this is..." She buried her head in her arms. "Oh god, this is so _embarrassing_."

Immediately, Paula smirked. "Wait, is this about the time you told me Claus looked _sexy_?"

Ana colored. "WHAT?!" she cried in disbelief. "I never said that!"

"Yeah, you did. Remember, like, three years ago, we were talking about why Claus was being so rude to Ness, and you were like, _Well, he is kinda sexy-_"

Completely mortified, Ana shoved her hands into her laughing friend's shoulder. "That was in _sixth grade_!" Ana protested. "And I didn't even know what _sexy_ meant! Richie told me it meant _mean_!"

"So…do you still think Claus looks _sexy_?" Paula teased, batting her eyelashes.

"…I hate you."

Paula spared her a cheeky grin. "I'm only teasing you because you still haven't told me what's been bugging you."

"I...I-I...Aaah! I can't do this! Okay, wait, give me a second." Ana took a deep breath. "Um...Paula?"

"Yeah?"

"Have you ever...you know...H-Have you ever liked someone? Like, _like liked _someone?"

Paula almost stopped in her tracks. "Ana, why-"

"I'm sorry!" Ana blurted out in mortification, immediately covering her blushing face in embarrassment. "F-Forget about it!"

Now Paula knew she had two ways to approach the situation: she could either tease her friend and laugh it off, or actually talk to her about the question at hand. But to be brutally honest, Paula had been waiting _ages_ for Ana to finally spit it out, so she decided to get to the point.

"_Finally,_" Paula broke out, rolling her eyes. "It's about time."

"Huh?"

"Ness and I've been wondering how long it'd take for you to get the hint."

"Hint? What hint?" Ana squeaked.

"Yes, Ana, I'm pretty damn sure that Ninten likes you too."

The poor girl's face was now glowing a deep crimson. "H-How did you know it was N-Ninten?" she stammered.

Paual looked exasperated. "Don't you remember? Last year, he wrote cheesy pick-up lines on all his sticky notes then stuck them on top of your desk. And when you thought no one was looking, you'd quietly slip them off and stuff them into your bag-"

Ana flustered furiously. "Wait, how did you know?!"

"I sat behind you," Paula deadpanned.

The poor blonde looked absolutely mortified. "Yeah, but that doesn't mean he likes me back," Ana muttered, averting her eyes to stare at her shoes. "He's probably joking around...You know how Ninten likes to joke around...Yeah, he's probably just playing around..."

Paula rolled her eyes again. "Yes, _of course_. Silly me. He's _totally_ joking around with you. No really, Ana, when a boy serenades a girl to class on the last day of school, that means he _likes_ you."

"No! Stop it, Paula!" Ana blurted out. Squeezing her eyes shut, she clapped her hands over her ears. "Ninten can't _possibly_ like me..."

"Why not?"

"Because he's...he's so _perfect_, and well, look at me, Paula," Ana said softly, despondently looking at her feet. "I'm not smart like you. I'm not strong like Kumatora. All I can do is play the piano...like fifty billion other people..."

"So? There's nothing wrong with that. I think being able to play the piano's pretty cool," Paula said reasonably. "And hey, Lucas's shy too, and he sings without a problem-"

"But Lucas is internationally recognized. I'm not special. I'm just...I'm just a normal girl." Ana quietly stared at her palms. "I don't stand a chance. How can someone as perfect as Ninten ever love a girl like me?"

..._You've GOT to be kidding me. _Filled with a sudden urge of frustration, Paula seriously considered bashing her own head against the mountainside. After long rumination, Paula eventually decided against it; giving herself a concussion wasn't going to improve Ana's love life. Exasperated to the point of no return, she wildly threw her arms into the air in a _I-give-up-you're-absolutely-hopeless _gesture.

"For cripes sake," Paula groaned. "If you won't confess to him by the end of the year, then I'll do it for you."

Ana panicked. "What?!"

Paula rolled her eyes. "I might not know him too well, but the fact that Ninten's got a crush on you isn't exactly a big secret in school, Ana."

Ana flushed. "But-"

"Ninten. Likes. You. How much more obvious can it get?"

"...He does?" Ana said feebly.

Paula sighed, then pinched the bridge of her nose. "Gods, you two are so silly. No wonder you're perfect for each other."

"But I don't want to dive into a relationship yet!" Ana panicked. "I think. Maybe. I don't know!"

"Calm down, I'm not saying that you two should dive into a relationship pronto," Paula said softly. "You rarely say anything to him. Talk to him more. Get to know him better. Even if nothing happens between you two, Ninten's a really cool friend." Paula frowned, then cracked her knuckles. "He called me _mom_ on the first day of school, though. Ooooh, I need to get him back for that-"

Ana laughed. "You'd better lay off my man, Paula," she said teasingly. "Or I'm calling our friendship off."

Paula's smirk widened. "So you _do _admit it."

Ana spared a small smile. "Um...maybe? I guess it can't hurt to admit my feelings for him..." She gave Paula a suspiciously shifty side-glance. "So...how're things going with Ness?"

Paula groaned, then dragged her hand down her face. "Ana, he's just a childhood friend. Geezus," she complained. "It's like being friends with a boy immediately brands him as "boyfriend" material these days."

"But you kissed him!"

"ANA!" It was Paula's turn to looked flushed. "It was on the cheek, _not on the lips_!"

"I think you'd make a cute couple!" Ana gushed. "Like, you two'd be so _adorable_ together!"

"Traitor," Paula grumbled. She might have added more, had not a bloodcurdling snarl interrupted her thoughts.

Both girls froze.

"What was that?" Paula said sharply.

"I don't know."

Immediately, they readied their stance, standing back to back against each other. Ana readied her palm, letting it pulsate and hum with energy. At the same time, she mentally checked her stock, and to her dismay, Ana realized that she barely had any PSI left.

"I'm out of juice," Ana whispered.

Paula internally cursed. With Picky on her back, she had no free hands to help Ana out against whatever was about to attack them. "This isn't good. We need to warn the others-"

They shrieked when a bloody, badly-mutilated chimaera dived forward, gnashing its rabid teeth. Immediately, Ana conjured a shield before a set of sharp claws impaled Paula's foot.

_"What's going on?"_ They heard Kumatora's alarmed shout, but neither of them had any time to respond. With a frightful, mechanical roar, the mecha-lion sprung forward in a blur of speed, baring down its serrated teeth to gnaw on its fresh victims...

**CLANG!**

"ANA!"

"I don't think I can hold out much l-longer," Ana gasped, bearing the entire weight of the mecha-lion on her PSI-shield. Several tons of feline muscle pounded against the annoying obstacle, and with each strike, the shield fizzled and flickered.

Picky stirred. "Wasgoinon...?" he mumbled, opening his eyes sleepily. In seconds, his eyes dilated to the size of dinner plates as serrated teeth barely snapped inches from his head. "WOAH!"

Paula quickly set him onto his feet. "Picky, get help!" she yelled, widening her stance. "We'll distract it!"

"On it!" Picky wasted no time, using his tiny frame as an advantage to maneuver around them and disappear out of sight.

Once he was gone, Paula turned her attention over to the mecha-lion. "NOBODY HURTS MY FRIENDS WHEN I'M AROUND, _METAL-BRAIN_!" she roared, conjuring up the last of her PSI. Flames erupted from her hands in a violent _whoosh_ of embers. "PK FIRE!"

A direct hit. The mecha-lion screeched in pain, convulsing pitifully onto the ground in a melting mess. Smoke poured out of its yowling mouth as its mechanic eye began to spark violently.

All energy spent, Ana collapsed onto her knees.

"Ana!" Paula cried, hurrying over to pull her dazed friend up onto her feet.

"I'm sorry, Paula," she said weakly, knees buckling underneath her weight. "I don't have any P-PSI left..."

A furious howl of madness ripped through the air. Echoing a deep, distorted snarl in its throat, the mecha-lion limped forward murderously, taking in their petrified expressions. The chimaera was barely even recognizable with its disfigured features. With half its face melted off and its fur a bloody, charred mess, the monster looked like it was born directly from nightmare fuel.

Snapping its mouth open, bright orange light pulsated over its teeth, and they could feel the heat of the incoming fireball from afar-

...Until something hurtled through the air and landed on its back.

Hard.

Another pitiful scream erupted from the mecha-lion's jaws, and Poo leaped off in a graceful arc, narrowly avoiding its fangs and firmly planting his feet in front of the two girls.

Ana's eyes dilated in disbelief. "Poo?"

"Are you okay?" he asked quietly, fixing his eyes on the threat in front of them. With a pitiful mewl, the mecha-lion limped away, nursing its new injuries.

"We're fine," Paula said, relaxing her shoulder in relief. "Where's Kuma-"

A familiar female screech: "DUUUUUCK!"

Poo expertly swiped at their ankles, knocking them over. Everyone dropped to the ground just as Kumatora ferociously soared past, drawing back a flaming fist.

"Kuma..." With a scream, she jabbed her fist forward. "PAAAAAAWNCH!"

**KA-BLAAAAAAM!**

The resulting explosion swept them off their feet.

Bits of fur and metal debris scattered over the ground in a hail of blood and oil. When stinging smell of smoke finally faded, they blearily squinted their eyes into the resulting sight. Blanching, Paula immediately clapped her hands over Picky's eyes before he could see the gruesome sight.

The only thing left of the mecha-lion was a sizzling, bloody crater.

"Did we...Did we just...?" Nausea threatened to crawl up Ana's throat, and she turned away, setting a horrified hand over her mouth.

"Hah! That taught _you_ a lesson for picking on us!" Kumatora spat angrily, brandishing her fist at the crater. Suddenly, she winced as pain to shot up her dislocated arm. "Ow, ow, ow! Stupid furball," she muttered, rolling her shoulders to relieve the kink. Bone cracked, and as the shoulder popped back into place, Kumatora rolled her eyes in relief. "Oh yeah, that's the spot..."

"What was _that_ for?!" Paula exclaimed, stomping over.

Kumatora dusted the blood of her hands. "You're welcome for the help, _princess_," she grumbled.

"STOP CALLING ME _PRINCESS_!"

Kumatora rolled her eyes. "Give me a break. I just saved our lives."

"That explosion could've killed us if we were caught in the blast!"

"I've had some experience fighting chimaeras," Kumatora growled. "Everyone was already out of the blast zone!"

"It was _limping away _from us when you attacked it!" Paula broke out angrily, clenching her fists. "_Why did you kill it?_!"

"Look, I'm not proud of what I've done, but it was necessary, okay?!" Kumatora suddenly shouted, throwing her hands up into the air. Conflicted emotions tore through her features. "Didn't you get a good _look_ at that thing? Half its face was melted off! It was already suffering a slow death, because somebody else already wounded it before _we _did. What makes you think that I _wanted _to kill it? I didn't _want_ to kill it any more than _you_ did!"

The anguished look on Kumatora's face stunned them to silence.

Kumatora turned away. "Nothing deserves to suffer more than it has to," she mumbled under her breath. "...Nothing."

Realizing that she had severely misinterpreted the older teen, Paula closed her mouth. "I'm sorry, Kuma," she said quietly. "I didn't know-"

"Save it. I hate apologies," Kumatora said bluntly. But she shifted a look over, and catching Paula's despondent look, her gaze softened slightly. "Hey. Don't be sorry. If you get my jam, we're good."

Surprised, Paula looked up, and Kumatora smirked, socking her shoulder. "I won't try to kill anything if I can, okay? So stop dwelling in the dumps, _princess_. The world's too depressing to waste time moping around with a sad face."

Paula felt the corners of her lips curling into a smile. "Right," she said softly. "Kuma, I-"

For the second time that day, Paula was interrupted by a violent tremor racking through the ground. None of them had time to react before the resulting geyser viciously exploded at their feet in a mystical cloud of thick smoke. Strange, inky-purple liquid spewed out, painfully bombarding their hair, clothes, and skin like spraypaint. They coughed, blindly scrabbling for air and trying to breathe through the thick sheet of gloop.

"What the-" Kumatora gasped, raising an arm-

Instantly Poo reacted, using the last of his energy to dash around in a circle. A flash of light, and they reappeared further down the mountain.

"Is everyone okay?" Paula coughed, squeezing out her saturated hair. The deep liquid dyed her blond locks an inky violet.

"I think so," Ana responded shakily, stumbling over to where an exhausted Poo had dropped to his knees.

"Wh-What was that?" Picky stammered.

Kumatora frowned, looking uncharacteristically serious. She examined the purple gloop from between her fingers. "If I didn't know better, I'd have thought that this was blood."

"Blood?" they all echoed.

"It's got the same consistency, and it kinda tastes the same. Metallic."

Ana looked like she was going to faint any second. "But it's purple..."

"No, Kumatora's right. This is blood." Poo confirmed, unsteadily pushing himself up with Ana's help. Furrowing his eyebrows into a dramatic frown, he stared down at his violet-coated fingers. "The World...is bleeding."

Silence.

Kumatora started to laugh.

Paula looked completely bewildered. "What's so funny?"

"The Earth? Bleeding? Oh man, this is _rich._" If possible Kumatora laughed louder, clutching at her sides and pounding the ground with her fists. "What, is the world gonna end in some giant, planetary PMS-"

"WE HAVE CHILDREN PRESENT," Paula snapped, clapping her hands over Picky's ears.

Too late. Picky glanced up curiously. "What's PMS?"

Thankfully, they were spared an awkward explanation when Poo abruptly flattened himself against the dirt. Cocking his head, the Dalaamese prince intently set one ear against the dirt as if listening carefully for something.

"Great. What is he doing now?" Kumatora grumbled.

Ana only watched her childhood friend with quiet intensity. "Poo's highly gifted in the Dalaamese Arts. If anyone can figure out what's happening to the Earth, he can."

In a mixture of trepidation, anticipation, and (in Kumatora's case) impatience, all of them watched him for any sign of disturbance on his features. Seconds passed with nothing happening.

Then Poo slowly peeled himself off the ground. An unusually grim expression was plastered on his face. "This is worse than I imagined. Let us return to the city. We need to warn Ness before it's too late."

"What's happening, Poo?" Ana interrupted, worriedly grabbing his arm. "What's going on?"

Kumatora let loose a bark of laughter. "Seriously though, we're not gonna die, are we?"

Poo only quickened his pace. "Not yet. But if we don't figure out a way to fix this problem, then yes, we may possibly die."

His words wiped the smirk from Kumatora's mouth. She scowled in frustration. "What do you mean _'We may possibly die_'? Damn it, Poo, can you stop beating around the bush and tell us what's going on?!"

Poo halted in his tracks. "Can't you sense it, Kumatora?" he said softly.

Kumatora paused. A bad feeling formed in the pit of her stomach. "Sense what?"

Gentle snowflakes began to flutter from the sky. Ominous thunderclouds rumbled overhead, an unseen audience waiting for an answer with bated breath.

The Dalaamese prince stared at her with bleak eyes. "The Earth is dying. The world as we know it is coming to an end."

.

.

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~oO0Oo~

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.

The bored cashier boy sighed. Business at the burger shop was strangely slow today. Briefly flicking out his phone, the apron-clad lad checked the time.

Eleven-fifty. Come midnight and his shift would finally be over.

He impatiently pocketed his phone. "Next," he droned.

As the next customer sidled up towards him, he blinked.

Then blinked again.

A young, blond-haired girl about his age had walked up to the counter.

A completely normal sight, had she not looked like she had been dragged hundreds of miles down a highway. Cuts and scrapes littered her faces and hands. Brambles and twigs stuck out of her long, disheveled hair like porcupine quills, and her half-lidded eyes spoke volumes of sleep-deprivation. And to his awe, this odd pixie of a girl leaned across the counter to make a similarly odd request.

"I'd like to speak to the manager," she said quietly.

The boy blinked again. He cleared his throat. "The manager is busy. I can take your order."

"The manager knows me. Please, I need to talk to him."

A skeptical quirk of an eyebrow. "The manager knows you _personally_?"

"Yes, he does," she begged meekly. "Tell him that a girl named Ana is here to see him."

"Our manager's a good man," he argued, eyeing her with distaste. "He'd never trifle with the likes of you."

"Hey!" Another blonde with a shoulder-length crew-cut butted in angrily. "She's not lying! We really are friends of Teddy!"

"I don't know what kind of trick you're playing, Miss, but you're holding up the line," the boy interrupted, waving a hand towards the ironically non-existent line of customers. "If you want to order, please wait for your turn."

A shadow suddenly loomed over him. "Fine. You want an order, _shrimpy_?"

Looking up, the boy gulped as he met eye to eye with a fiery, pink-haired girl. Sparks flew from her furious eyes, and the boy resisted the urge to scream.

"Y-Yes?" he squeaked, voice cracking to his embarrassment.

She leaned over, skewering him with her sharp glower. "I'd like to order six Happy Meal Combos with a large side of fries, and oh right, some _PUNCH_." She suddenly wrenched the poor cashier boy over the counter by the collar of his shirt. "No, seriously," she breathed with a snarl, slamming a free hand against the marble. "Do any of us look like we're _joking_? Go fetch the manager. _Now._"

"Kuma!" Ana squeaked, looking absolutely mortified. "Let him go!"

"I'll let him go when this prick shows us some _manners._"

"Kumatora," Poo repeated warily. "I honestly don't think this is a great, tactical approach-"

"SCREW TACTICAL APPROACHES! I'm cold, tired, and hungry as _fuck,"_ Kumatora hissed, her face a turning blotchy red. "Every second we waste trying to cater to this chump means another second that one of your lost, dim-wit friends might get himself killed!"

_"...Kumatora?"_

The said girl immediately halted in the middle of her rant. "DUSTER?"

Two men had just walked out of the _Staff-Only _rooms. One was a stocky, muscle-ripped hunk who wouldn't seem out of place in a pro-wrestling, male-model magazine. His large Adam's apple and thick biceps literally _screamed _manly, and along with his cocky smirk and dark-tinted shades, one sight of this man would probably make Olympic wrestlers scream and run for mama.

In sharp contrast, his companion couldn't look any more different. Shaggy, brown hair drooped tiredly over equally weary eyes and a wiry, lean frame. The man's left leg shifted uncomfortably in a clear sign of a limp, but his warm brown eyes shone of honesty and concern. This man, Poo assumed, was Duster_._

"Isn't this a neat surprise? I never really liked bullies." Teddy flashed them a dangerous, badboy smile. "Hey, kid, who do you think you are, some highschool wrestling champ?"

"Yeah," Kumatora snarled, clenching her fists defiantly. "I actually am. You got a problem with that?"

The muscleman threw her another wicked smirk, but this time, it was tinged with a hint of steel. "I like your attitude, missy, but if I were you, I wouldn't mess around with those fists in_my_ restaura-"

"Teddy?" Ana broke out timidly.

Recognizing her, Teddy did a double-take. "What the-" His eyes widened in shock. "_Ana_?"

"Kuma, what's going on?" Duster lowered his voice, studying all of their exhausted faces. Silent realization dawned in his eyes. "These children-"

"Long story short, we were all kidnapped by a megalomaniac who wanted to sap our PSI," Kumatora said bluntly, dropping the cashier boy from her grasp.

Duster scrutinized her like a truth-detector, but his shoulders quickly slumped in relief. "I thought that note was fishy," he said quietly. "You never would've walked out on them."

"What note?" Kumatora said sharply.

After a moment of hesitation, Duster slipped out a crumpled piece of paper on his pocket. "The day after you went missing, your adopted parents raised the alarm. They were worried sick; apparently they thought you ran away because of some argument you had with them the night before. When they finally dialed 911 to report your absence, Wess answered the call. The only sign we found of you was a handwritten note saying that you'd had enough, that you didn't care if your parents thought becoming a wrestling coach was unfitting for a girl." Duster shifted his gaze. "There were no fingerprints."

Clutching the note, Kumatora stared the crumpled note in her hands. Her expression was unreadable. "I _did_ write this..." she said slowly, not meeting Duster's eyes. "But I swear, I was planning to shred it," she muttered defensively. "I don't remember exactly what happened, but after I argued with my parents, I needed to talk to you. I must've left this note behind when I sprinted over to your place, but that was when..."

"I think I can figure it out," Duster finished gently.

"Giygas..." Kumatora's features hardened. "Somehow he knew all along..."

"Giygas?" Duster asked sharply. "What does _he_ have to do with this?"

"Excuse me, Duster, sir, if I may interrupt," Poo began, stepping forward. "We can answer more questions in private. There are ears everywhere."

Duster nodded, sweeping his gaze over the fast-food restaurant. It was empty, save for the lone cashier cowering under the counter. "Right. Teddy, if you could-"

"On it, bro." Teddy snapped his fingers. "Hey, Nichol!"

"S-Sir?" All attention flew to the quavering teen by the cash register. "You know these kids?" he asked weakly.

"Know them? Of course I know them!" Teddy smiled widely. "These kids helped me out a while back. Saved me from a false marijuana lawsuit!"

Nichol blanched. "I-I'm sorry, sir," he stammered shakily. "I thought that they were up to no good, sir, and I didn't want them to bother you if they were part of the BB-"

"No need," Teddy said airily. "I know you meant well, Nick." He flipped him a key. "Here, take the day off."

"S-Sir?"

"Frank told me that today's gonna be a slow day, so it's a good time to close shop. I don't see any customers," Teddy said, inclining his head towards the empty room. "Besides, I've got to settle some _private_ business with these kids. Just sayin' - as far as _you_ know," Teddy jabbed a finger at him. "You ain't see or hear none of us tonight. Got that?"

"Yeah! Yep, I definitely didn't see anyone here tonight." Nichol nodded his head furiously.

"An' don't worry about it - you'll still get full pay."

Gratitude dawned on the teen's face. "Thanks, Teddy."

"Don't mention it, bucko. Lock the doors behind you, will yah?"

With a curt nod and a scrambling of limbs, the teen immediately disappeared with the distinct clicking of a bolt sliding into place.

Instantly, Teddy dropped his cool facade. "Cool. Now we _talk._"

Duster eyed all of their exhausted faces in concern. "I think they might want some food first, Teddy. These kids look like they haven't eaten an actual meal in ages..."

"Yes, _PLEASE,"_ Kumatora groaned, almost drooling at the thought of food. "Food sounds gooooooood..."

Duster reached for his wallet. "I can-"

A large hand stopped his progress. "Oh, no you don't. Lucky, _this_ is on the house." Before Duster could protest, Teddy slid over the counter and dashed into the kitchen with remarkable agility. Flinging on an apron (which read _Kiss My Fist_), Teddy threw them an enthusiastic smirk. "One giant order of Onett's best burgers _COMING RIGHT UP!_"

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~oO0Oo~

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Duster carefully trained his eye on the strange party of people.

The exotic-looking teen - Kumatora mentioned that his name might've been _Poo_, but Duster wasn't sure if she was joking - calmly settled into a booth, conversing quietly under his breath with Ana and a rather serious-looking Teddy. Across from them, Paula listened in rapt attention as Picky, dozed off on her shoulder.

To be fairly honest, Duster had never seen a group of people devour food so quickly. Paula had ravenously chowed down her second chicken sandwich, gulping it down into two bites; Picky had downed a full burger with no intention of stopping; Ana had swallowed down French Fries like water. The only person who didn't seem to enjoy the food as enthusiastically was Poo, who quietly picked at his patty, but in no time, all the dishes were spot clean of any crumbs.

Kumatora gave a loud belch, then banged a fist against the counter. "Oh man, now that was some good stuff." She threw Duster her trademark smirk. "So, how's it been without me? I bet it's been great, huh?"

Her joking tone failed to brighten his mood. Duster trailed his eyes towards the sleepy bunch. "It hasn't been good, I'm afraid," he admitted. "I found out Lucas went missing about a week ago. Have you seen him?"

Kumatora paused. "Well, not exactly_._ I didn't actually see him _in person_ per se..." She stared at her fingers. "But Claus was a total wreck. He'd better have found his brother..."

Duster said nothing, but Kumatora noticed how his knuckles turned white. "I can't believe anyone would commit such a despicable crime," Duster said softly. "Kidnapping and hurting children all for the sake of PSI..." Duster shifted her a side-glance. "What does Giygas think to achieve from this?"

"In all honesty? I don't know." Kumatora's face hardened. She gripped the table tightly. "I was trapped there the longest. Giygas was really careful not to let details slip up, but if there's one thing I know, Giygas doesn't want us anymore. He's after one of _them._"

"Them?"

"The missing boys. I don't know whom he's _specifically_ after, but if I had wager a bet, I'd put my money on one of the twins."

Duster fell silent. "He's hunting them down."

Kumatora laughed darkly. "Right in one. Geez, if he even _tries_ to harm Lucas..." Kumatora grimly cracked her knuckles. "There'll be hell to pay."

"I didn't know you knew Lucas well."

"I don't," Kumatora muttered. "But nobody deserves the mind-fuck Giygas is putting us through. Well, that, and I think Lucas is _way_ cooler than his twin. Claus is a downright ass."

Duster stared into his hot chocolate. "You just caught him at a bad time. Claus is very overprotective of his brother."

"...You've got to be kidding me, Duster._ Overprotective_? Puh-lease, he's a dick." Kumatora rolled his eyes. "I met him for _five_ seconds, and I already wanted to _strangle_ him."

"Claus acts before he thinks. Kind of like you."

The soda can crumpled in Kumatora's hand. "DON'T YOU DARE COMPARE ME TO HIM."

Duster stifled a smile. "But both of you also have a bigger heart than you'd like to admit," he added gently.

Kumatora stuck her nose into the air. "Yeah right," she sniffed. "What do _you_ know? As if I'd ever go soft on anyone."

Duster merely shook his head with a knowing smile. But before long, a shadow loomed over him, cutting their conversation short.

Teddy scratched a hand behind his neck. "Uhh...Duster, these kids...they've been through a lot. Like, a LOT. To top that, Ninten's still missing, and hell, some parts even _I_ find it hard to believe." The macho-man gave a soft, disbelieving chuckle. "Magic. An unstoppable apocalypse. It makes sense, but at the same time, it's so _unreal_, man." He crossed his arms with a sigh. "But I believe them, dude. I really do. Maybe I'm the one going completely cuckoo..."

Teddy shook his head again. "But all of that can wait. These kids need a place to stay. But I'm afraid I can't offer them lodging here, yah know? Crashing here is pretty dangerous, 'cause I have no idea if anyone from my asshole ex-gang might show up, and if Frank finds this whole place in shambles, oh man, he's gonna have my ass on the platter-"

"Don't worry, Ted." Duster rose. "I've got this covered. Give Frank my thanks."

Teddy frowned. "But aren't you and Wess-"

"He won't hurt me."

Teddy studied his expression. "I owe you one, man," he said sincerely.

"Don't mention it."

"...What's going on?" Paula asked wearily, poking an Picky awake. "Are we going somewhere?"

"If we want to save your friends and the world, then we've gotta get you guys some rest." Duster swung his legs around the table with remarkable agility for someone with a limp. "My dad's the police chief. He'll know where to start, and you'll be in safer hands."

"Remember, if ya'll find any way that I can help, let me know," Teddy interrupted, giving a determined nod.

"Thanks, Teddy," Ana said quietly.

Kumatora spared Duster a concerned look. _Are you sure about this?_

Duster shrugged. "It's the only choice we have," he merely said, hoisting Picky up in his arms and striding out of the restaurant.


	24. Chapter 24

**READ FROM CHAPTER 23!**

**I split the chapter in half because it was so long, then posted both halves up at once.**

**Thank you for your cooperation :) Enjoy~**

* * *

><p>"...Are we there yeeeeeeeet?" Kumatora groaned piteously. Her arms flopped against her like a pair of lifeless fish. "Duster, I'm <em>tired<em>."

"Almost there. Two more blocks."

Damp, dusty streetlamps flickered and groaned, casting shadows over the cobbled pavement. A pair of wide, luminous eyes blinked from the gloom before the stray cat darted away. Darkness quickly swallowed up its form.

The ominous neighborhood sent cold shivers prickling up their skin like icy fingers, and Picky involuntarily shied closer, clutching Paula's hand tightly. But as Duster had predicted, they soon found themselves standing in front of a respectable-looking hovel. Walking up to the **Welcome **mat, Duster abruptly hesitated, resting one finger against the doorbell. "Uh, so..."

Kumatora frowned. "What gives?"

"My dad can get a little...intimidating," Duster said carefully. "But he'll be willing to help us out."

Duster's odd warning was met with several blank looks of surprise and confusion. However, even as the scraggly-haired man maintained a casual air, Kumatora noticed how his knuckled whitened over the doorknob.

"Duster, if you don't wanna do this, you really don't have to," she muttered. "Seriously, we can find lodging elsewhere."

Exhaling a rather sharp intake of breath, and Duster gave a strained smile. But when he finally spoke, his voice sounded quite steady. "Thank you, Kumatora. But I'm afraid that this meeting's been long overdue."

Catching the change in tone, Paula hesitated. _Just what kind of person was this Wess? _she wondered, flickering her eyes towards the nervous bassist. _Duster's definitely uncomfortable, and it's odd considering how he's seems like a pretty chill person..._

But before anyone else could object, Duster stiffly pushed the doorbell.

**Ring~**

**Ring~**

**Ri-**

"WHO THE BLAZES IS AT THE DOOR?" exploded a loud, thunderous roar that buffeted their ears. The glass windows rattled violently from the sheer bombardment of sound.

Duster reluctantly cleared his throat. "Hey, dad...It's me."

Silence.

"YOU'VE GOT THE NERVE TO RETURN HERE AFTER YESTERDAY!" Came the furious response that boomed into their ears, making them jump. "DID YOU FINALLY DROP THAT USELESS MUSIC DEGREE?"

Duster winced. "I..uh..."

The door suddenly burst open, revealing a short, blotchy-faced old man. "GET OUT OF MY SIGHT THEN, YOU UNGRATEFUL CHILD!" the old man bellowed, shooing at him with a cane. "I gave you a choice, didn't I? Either you choose a respectable major, or I disown you. AND WHAT DID YOU TELL ME? "Dad, disown me," you said! "I'm gonna be a music major and you can't stop me," you said! Then you trudged off to your FAMOUS BAND, and NOW you come crawling back like I'm going to forgive you after all these years! HAH!"

"WHO THE HELL ARE _YOU_ TO TELL DUSTER HOW TO LIVE HIS LIFE?!" Kumatora screamed angrily. "Duster is an AMAZING person, and you have no right to tell him otherwise!"

"Kuma, please stop-"

The pink-haired teen ignored Duster's warning. "You know what, maybe it's a GOOD thing that you disowned him, BECAUSE DUSTER DOESN'T DESERVE A DAD LIKE YOU!"

There was an awkward pause.

"...S-She didn't mean to say that," Duster broke out feebly, throwing Kumatora an unusually sharp look that forced her to snap her mouth shut.

"Duster..." Wess's voice sounded dangerously soft, squinting into the gloom. "Who's outside with you?"

"The missing students. I found them at the local diner."

Duster's father said nothing. Then he completely opened the door ajar.

Wess's cranky face greeted them at the doorway. He seemed like an older version of Duster himself. Wispy, white hair indicated age, but curled the same way Duster's did at the edges. Sharp, birdlike features and glittering wary eyes adorned his face, and his broad, square jaw radiated painstaking stubbornness.

"Forgive me for the lack of hospitality," Wess said gruffly to the teens after throwing a withering look to Duster's hunched form. "My son and I have some... past _disagreements _that we don't quite see face to face." He shot Kumatora a glare. "And as long as you stay out of our _family affairs_, you are welcome to stay as long as you wish."

Kumatora glowered at the floor. The tension was so palpable that everyone shifted uncomfortably.

Poo threw Paula a careful look. _We must tread lightly and with caution._

_Right. _Paula eyed Wess uncomfortably. _I feel really bad for Duster. Wess sounds like a horrible parent._

_No shit, _Kumatora thought out loud, clenching her fists. _W__ess is the reason for Duster's limp._

_...What?! _They all cried in shock.

_But why would someone cripple their own son? _Ana asked horrified, eyeing Duster in concern. _Isn't Wess the police chief?!_

Kumatora hesitated. _Wess pushes Duster hard. He has high...expectations, _she muttered distastefully. _Duster's limp was apparently the result of some endurance training gone wrong, but if __you ask me, that's a still load of bullshit. Still, I__ hate to say this, but it's Duster's problem, and we have to let him deal with it on his own._

_That sounds cruel, _Ana said quietly.

_We don't have a choice._

"So do any of you have injuries I should know about?" Wess asked in deep concern. "I will call for an ambulance-"

"We're fine!" Paula protested.

"This is standard protocol. I'm afraid that I cannot abstain, young lady." Wess frowned. "But first, I would like to hear your accounts." His eyes flickered over Kumatora's features. "Even if they sound...out of the ordinary."

Ana's blood ran cold. _We can't tell him about PSI!_

_No. We can. _Kumatora scowled, slumping against the chair. _Wess already knows._

_How? _Paula was again surprised. Wess clearly knew much more than he let on.

Kumatora shifted uncomfortably. _Reasons,_ she admitted rather reluctantly.

"By all due respect, chief, it is a long story," Poo warned. "Several of our friends are also still missing."

"That is fine. Make yourselves comfortable. You five must have been through quite an ordeal," Wess grumbled in a deep voice. His hard eyes softened by a fraction. "I'm an old, cranky fart, but you have nothing to worry about. I hold your safety in high concern."

In a twisted way, Paula didn't disbelieve it. Wess genuinely cared about their welfare.

"But before we discuss how to save your friends, I would like to confirm your identity." Wess shuffled a few papers on his desk, then selected several choice files. He peered into the contents. "...Paula Polestar?"

"Present," Paula said quietly.

The roll call continued. As soon as he had jotted down their names, Wess leaned back against his desk.

"That still leaves four students missing," Wess muttered, slumping over in defeat. He looked positively drained. "The Mock Trial Captain, the Freshman Class president, and Flint's two sons. I hope you all have an explanation for their absence, because I have some worried parents who've been calling my office _every single day _for any iota of good news." Wess rubbed his head in frustration, and as he did so, two of the four manilla folders in his hands slid onto the desk. With a sick jolt, they recognized Ninten and Ness's smiling portraits from the Missing Child posters.

"Oh, we found them all right," Kumatora muttered. "But..."

"We parted due to unfortunate circumstances outside city borders," Poo finished.

Wess blanched. "They're stuck _in the wilderness?!"_

"Yes, sir," Paula said firmly. "And we need your help to find them-"

"No can do."

"WHY NOT?!" Paula suddenly cried, her temper exploding yet again. Her blue eyes smoldered angrily like sparking embers. "Officer Wess, my friends have been out there for the past three days _in the cold_. They could be dying of hypothermia for all we know!"

"Miss Polestar, listen to what I have to say." Wess crossed his arms with a dark scowl. "I can't send men off into the wilderness. No man is willing to set foot there, and especially not now. Rumors are flying between the men, and they speak of fantastic things. Geysers of blood. Massive tremors. Clouds of purple smoke. If I didn't know better, I'd say it's all MAGIC."

They all exchanged a nervous glance. Wess didn't seem to notice though.

"I can send helicopters to take surveillance," Wess continued, absentmindedly playing with the cord of his phone. "But with flying chimaeras and unpredictable geysers on the loose, I don't know if I want to risk the lives of my platoon so carelessly."

Wess suddenly sighed, setting a palm on his face. His face looked every year as old as he lived. "Poor Flint," he murmured. "He's trying to hold it together, but now that Hinawa and the twins are gone...I don't know how long he'll last..."

Paula's heart plummeted. "So you can't do anything..."

Wess threw them all a sharp glare. "Absolutely not! I don't think I can do much, but I'm not giving up on your friends. That's my job, aint it? To save lives." He reached his hand towards his phone. "In the meantime, I will phone your parents and-"

"No," Paula said suddenly. "Don't call my parents."

Wess frowned. "With all due respect, young lady-"

"I can't go home. I can't go back until we find Ness. If my parents figure out I'm here, they wouldn't let me help," Paula said shakily, balling her fists tightly. "I'm sorry to intrude upon your hospitality for the night, sir, but I think I know a friend who can take us in tomorrow." Her eyes flickered to Picky. "But you can-"

Immediately, Picky abruptly lifted his head. Throwing her a frightened look, he rapidly shook his head. Paula didn't have to read his mind to know what he was trying to say.

_Please don't send me home._

_Don't send me home._

Reluctantly, Paula slowly closed her mouth. She petered out awkwardly.

Luckily, no one seemed to notice her moment of hesitation. "I concur," Poo said quietly. "Ness and his friends have entrusted us with their lives, and I will not rest until they are safe."

Wess threw Poo an irritated look. "While you might hold certain authority in your home country, you must remember that you are bound to our laws during your stay. The royal family will be deeply displeased if you have broken your oath to keep the peace, and our military will frown upon your rash actions, _Prince Poo._"

Paula and Picky looked stunned by the announcement. _Prince_ Poo?

Poo clenched his jaw noticeably. "A heir is easily replaceable. A good friend is not. The Dalaamese rank loyalty and reason above everything else, officer. I will fight to protect my friends, and if that is against the law, then I do not wish to reside in a country of such low morals."

Even as a rebellious spirit herself, Kumatora had to gape at Poo's cold audacity. All formalities aside, he was downright accusing the Eagleland government.

But Wess only grunted. "Never expected a truer answer from a Dalaamese prince. Very well, Prince Poo, I will not force you and your friends to return to your homes." Wess snorted. "The army's a corrupt, money-scamming corporation brainwashing the lives of innocent, hardworking men willing to fight for this blasted country. I'm glad you disagree with our customs."

Poo only gave a stiff nod in response.

Wess sighed in frustration. "So let me guess. PSI mumbo-jumbo is causing all of this foolhardiness, and you all are the only people who can stop this."

"Pretty much," Kumatora said wryly.

Wess groaned. "I should've known. _Magic, _always ruining standard protocol...But damn, I never cared for the protocol anyways. Very well, let's see what we can do." Wess clicked the phone back onto the receiver. "Usually, when I find missing children, the first thing I'm supposed to do is notify your parents." He noted their wary expressions. "But I suppose we can't really do that, can we?"

"No, sir, we can't," Paula answered firmly.

"That means I will have to violate protocol, which means that as far as I'm concerned, none of you stepped foot into my house tonight. Which means that after tonight, you should find another friend to take you in." Wess's eyes flickered towards Duster. "If I make any breakthroughs, my son will let you know. In the meantime, I will call your parents, _but_-" he interrupted their protests with a raised finger. "I will let them know that you are safe, even though as far as _I'm_ concerned, I have absolutely _no_ idea where you five are. Does this sound fair?"

"Thank you, sir," Paula said in relief.

Wess nodded impatiently. "It's gonna be tough dealing with your hysterical parents, but if it concerns PSI...I suppose I don't have a choice, do I?" He threw them a look. "Please don't get yourselves killed for the greater good."

"We won't, old man."

Wess glared. "That's _Wess _to you, _Miss Kumatora."_ He waved them off. "Now go. Shoo. I need make a few phone calls, and it won't be pretty."

On that note, their audience with the police chief finally came to a close.

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~oO0Oo~

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"Duster."

Duster stiffened at the doorway. "...Dad."

"I disapprove of your career."

"This is my life, dad," Duster explained wearily. "I'm happy with where I am. If you can't accept me for who I am, then I'm afraid I can't help you."

The older man sighed, draping his hand over his eyes. "Why must you do this to yourself, Duster?"

Duster said nothing.

"...You know I do this for you, son," Wess said quietly. "Music occupations aren't stable, and every time you suffer financially, you know I can't support you."

"You don't have to support me. It's my life, dad. I can take care of myself now. I'm twenty-five."

Wess pursed his lips. "And yet you are still a child."

Duster shrugged his shoulders uncomfortably. "I'm sorry if you disagree with my life choices, but I'm not sorry for choosing this path." He hesitated as if he were going to say more, but abruptly bit his lip hard. Gripping the side of the couch, Duster slowly limped off.

Wess averted his eyes. "...Duster?"

His son halted.

Wess kept his gaze onto the plaster wall. "I have always been hard on you...and there are many things I wholeheartedly regret in my earlier years...but I have always meant the best for you. You know that, don't you?"

"Yeah."

Wess winced at the emotionless, matter-of-fact tone in Duster's voice, but instantly hid it under a scowl. "And straighten your back!" he snapped. "A curved spine is nothing to be laughing at when you turn old and gray like me!"

"Sure, dad. Whatever you say," Duster muttered, trudging off. But as his son left his office, Wess noticed that Duster had corrected his posture ever-so-slightly.

Both father and son stewed in unspoken silence, but Wess's last words rang clearly in their ears.

_I have always meant the best for you._

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~oO0Oo~

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"Poo...? Is Ness really going to be okay?"

The Dalaamese prince looked down. Picky was waiting for his response with a hopeful look in his eyes. Hesitantly, Poo snatched a quick look around the room.

Kumatora was nowhere to be seen. Ana was blow-drying her hair in the bathroom upstairs, and another side-glance proved Paula's whereabouts. Slumping over by the windowsill, Paula blankly balanced her head on her elbows, watching the snowstorm with far-away eyes.

"...the Captain is a reasonable person," Poo finally answered.

Picky blinked up at him. In the dim light, his blue eyes looked older than usual. "I don't mind if you admit that things aren't going okay," Picky said softly. "Poo, I wanted to ask you for your honest opinion. Paula wouldn't want me to worry so she'll sugarcoat things, and I don't know Kumatora and Ana too well..."

For a brief second, Poo looked taken aback by this sudden show of maturity but quickly masked his surprise. The Dalaamese boy chose his words carefully. "It's a little too early to decide if things are going down the hill," he said truthfully. "But Ness isn't alone. He has a good chance of survival."

In response, Picky slowly nodded, as if he had expected to hear those exact words. "Thanks, Poo."

Nodding absentmindedly, the older boy studied him in concern. "I apologize, by the way. We forgot to tell Wess to call your parents, and he seems a little busy right now. I'm afraid you'll have to stay with us for the night..."

"That's okay! I don't mind!" Picky said rather quickly. His lips spread into an eager, over-enthusiastic smile that brightened his features. "Can I tag along with you guys until we find Ness? I wanna help!"

_Oh no. _Poo bit back a wince. It was bad enough that Picky had been dragged into this mess in the first place, but now that the young boy had wanted to help them, especially without PSI...

Poo had to dissuade him.

Feeling so much like a parent, the Poo met Picky's hopeful eyes with a level expression. "You misunderstand the situation. This is not a glorified adventure. Ness's life could be at stake," Poo said quietly. "You should not have been involved in the first place."

Picky's face fell.

Feeling a pang of sympathy, Poo's gaze softened slightly. "You can help by following what Ness told you to do," he added gently. "He is not unreasonable. I imagine that he told you to return home for a good reason."

Picky blinked rather rapidly, rubbing at his eyes. "I guess..." He swallowed hard, then looked up with pleading eyes. "Then, can you...can you promise that you'll bring Ness home?"

Poo hesitated. "I cannot guarantee his safety-"

_"Promise."_

"Picky, you cannot make me-"

"Please, Poo." Picky's voice cracked slightly. Moisture rapidly gathered in his eyes. "You don't understand...I-I owe Ness a _lot..._he's like my older brother, and I...you can't let him die..._P-Please_-"

Caving in with a sigh, Poo gently set a hand on his shoulder. "I will do my best."

Picky nodded. He slowly drew himself up. "Thanks, Poo," he mumbled, rubbing his eyes. "Then don't worry 'bout me. I'll walk home first thing tomorrow-"

"I can drive you home." They jumped at the voice. Duster and Kumatora briskly walked in, carrying several sleeping bags in their arms. "All of you are technically supposed to be missing," Duster explained. "So I'll drop Picky off in the morning."

"Thank you, Duster, sir."

"Duster _sir_?" Kumatora cackled loudly, slapping a hand on Duster's back. "Oh, man, this is _priceless_!"

Duster sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm not _that_ old, Poo."

Poo opened his mouth to apologize when Kumatora cut across him. "Nah, Poo, don't bother apologizing. Duster's a pretty old geezer compared to us sprightly teens." Kumatora crossed her arms smugly.

"Sprightly?" Duster threw her an amused look. "Since when did you start describing yourself as _sprightly_?"

With a loud laugh, Kumatora socked his shoulder again, and Duster winced.

"Please, Kuma," Duster said with a rather pained look in his face. "You've been abusing my shoulder for the entire night."

"The night ain't over yet! Man up, Duster!" Kumatora cackled, making him wince again when she socked him in the shoulder. But Poo noticed how she gently retracted her fist at the last moment.

...Not that Kuma would probably admit it.

Kumatora carelessly dumped all of the sleeping bags onto the floor, and Duster rubbed his sore shoulder. "You guys are welcome to pick one up and sleep in the empty room upstairs," Duster said. "I don't think anyone's gonna stop by, but tomorrow, you should stay low inside the house. I'll be back late in the evening to escort you out to your friend's house."

Kumatora sniggered. "_Escort_? More like _smuggle _us out."

"Escort sounds much friendlier, Kuma."

Kumatora rolled her eyes. "Whatever."

Paula finally peeled herself away from the windowsill to pick up a sleeping bag. "Thank you for your hospitality," she said softly, allowing a small smile to grace her lips. "We really appreciate it."

Duster scratched his head. "It's nothing," he said modestly. The man threw Paula a curious glance. "Your parents don't happen to own a daycare, do they?"

Paula looked startled. "Yes, yes they do. Polestar Preschool."

"I thought so." Duster stuffed his hand into his pocket and pulled out a flier. "This was stuck on the window," he said softly. "I felt bad for taking it off, but I thought you'd appreciate it."

Stunned, Paula reached for the flier and straightened it out. The first half of the flier was a generic _Missing Child_ poster with her face on it; the other half was addressed as a letter. Rough crayon and pencil marks messily scribbled over the paper.

**Dear Paula,**

**How are you doing?**  
><strong>I'm fine.<strong>  
><strong>I fine too!<strong>  
><strong>So are me!<strong>  
><strong>Me also!<strong>  
><strong>Me okay.<strong>  
><strong>Please come and play with us again at the Polestar Preschool.<strong>  
><strong>Oh yeah, one more thing, bring us some presents...if you have any.<strong>

**Sincerely,**  
><strong>Your friends at the Polestar Preschool<strong>

Her fingers suddenly lost all feeling, and the letter began to tremble in her grasp. Overwhelmed with emotion, Paula set a palm against her open mouth in disbelief. "How could've forgotten about the children at school? And my parents...they must be-" Tears pooled up in her eyes. "What do I d-do? I d-don't have any presents to give them..."

Kumatora rolled her eyes. "That's not the point, _princess_. It's not the presents they want...it's _you_."

To their massive astonishment, tear drops dripped from Paula's eyes, staining the shaking pamphlet in her grip. Silent shudders racked her chest. "I've been such a terrible daughter," she croaked. "All this time, I didn't want to call home because I wanted to save my friends, and I didn't think about my parents and now...How could I do this to them?"

"It's okay, Paula," Ana began hesitantly. "I'm sure they'll understa-"

Suddenly, Paula buried her head into her hands into a quiet sob. Wet droplets hit the carpet, seeping into the fibers in tiny dots of misery. Soft hiccups rattled her aching ribs. "Oh gods...what have I done?" Paula choked. "Wh-what have I...d-done...?"

They stood around her silently, not knowing what to say. Feeling the tension of the past few days fainlly catch up to her, Paula wept freely. Hot, prickling shame filled her heart, puncturing it in a mixture of loathing and self-disgust.

Finally, Kumatora firmly shook her shoulder. "Hey. Hey, look at me, Paula."

_Paula_. Not _Princess._

The fact that Kumatora had finally called her by her name caught Paula's attention. Watery-eyed, she glanced up to Kumatora's soft smirk.

"If you think _you're_ a horrible person, then what d'you think _that_ makes me?" Kumatora asked, waggling her eyebrows. "The spawn of _Satan_?"

Paula hiccuped harder, trying to stop a hysterical laugh from breaking through her sobs.

Kumatora slung an arm over her shoulder. "That's what I thought. See here, Paula, it ain't over yet until it's over. We're gonna find your friends, beat Giygas up into oblivion, then face our pissed-off parents together!" Paula hiccuped again, and Kumatora laughed. "I disappeared right after I _argued_ with my parents_, _but at least you left on a good note, right? So cheer up, frowny-face." Kumatora elbowed her in the side. "And don't you dare break down on me now. If you completely lose it, who would I pick on? _Princess _Poo?"

Poo threw her a deadpan look, and Kumatora smiled sweetly. _Love you too__,_ she mouthed.

With another shaky laugh, Paula suddenly buried her head into Kumatora's shoulder. "I'm s-sorry," Paula said, muffling her voice. "I just need to...I'm sorry...okay, I th-think I'm good." Slowly withdrawing from her grip, Paula dabbed at her eyes. "I'm sorry, Kuma, I don't know wh-what came over me..."

Kumatora narrowed her eyes into a look of mock disapproval. "Remember what I said about apologies."

Paula gave another shaky laugh. "Right. Won't happen again, Kuma. Really." Sniffling, she wiped her eyes on her sleeve. "And thanks for delivering this letter to me, Duster. It means a lot.."

"I'm glad it did," Duster said quietly, lost in a trance. Without asking, Kumatora knew that he was thinking of another missing blond.

A smaller pair of arms hugged her neck from behind, and Paula suddenly snapped up in shock. "Don't cry, Paula," Picky mumbled, his voice sounding muffled. "It's okay to miss home..."

"And don't be sorry," Ana added almost fiercely, crawling to her side. "You're the least selfish person I've ever known."

Poo sat on her other side, gripping a hand firmly. "You're not alone."

It took Paula all of her strength not to bawl on the spot again. But she had had enough crying for today. Thinking about Ness lost in the snow, her determination strengthened, and with it returned her fiery spirit.

"We can do this," Paula declared quietly.

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

Lonely.

Tracy felt awfully lonely. With her older brother missing, it was as if she had lost a good chunk of her heart.

Well...at least she still had mom...

But sometimes, Tracy missed doing stupid, sibling things that Moms couldn't understand. Like trying to tickle each other's feet under the dinner table without getting caught. Or making someone snort out milk by pulling funny faces. Or even saying silly shit about each other just to see the exasperated look on their mother's face.

Her eyes gravitated to the empty seat next to her, and as if it were Taboo, Tracy immediately averted her eyes.

What an odd change. Whenever she was in a bad mood, dad was never there and mom...mom was sometimes too busy. But Ness had always been there for her. Even if he was an overgrown, teenage dork, her brother had always been there to annoy the heck out of her.

Tracy stifled a smile. Ness hated seeing her upset. She could almost hear his voice right now.

_W__hy so down, Trace?" _Ness would smirk annoyingly, then sweep his hat onto her hair because he knew how much she hated it._ "C'mon, sis, stop being a whiner. Everything's gonna be okey."_

Disgruntled, she'd knock the hat off (because she really hated getting hat hair), then wail that everything was never going to be okay, that he ruined her hair, and that he was the most awful brother ever. Ness would only laugh harder, so Tracy would end up messing up _his_ hair, and then they would soon be engaged in a free-for-all where the glory of being the Alpha Sibling was at stake. Usually though, Ness would let her win, and once she had "wrestled" him into submission, he would pull out the big guns.

Calling for help.

_"Mooooom," _Ness would moan, arms flopping pathetically on the floor._ "Tracy's bullying meeeee."_

_"Oh, shut up," _Tracy'd say, feeling her lips curl into a smile and forgetting why she'd been so upset in the first place._ "...Momma's boy."_

Oh gods. Now Tracy would give anything just to have her brother plop his stupid hat on her hair again. In her disquiet, she'd gotten a job at Escargo to keep her mind off things...

But it just wasn't the same without him.

"Tracy," her mother's voice cut in. "Don't play with your food."

Tracy stirred slightly at the rebuke. "Sorry." She slowly stared at her plate. Her stomach gave another sick lurch at the awfully familiar meal in front of her.

Steak and potatoes.

...Ness loved steak.

She sneakily snuck a glance to her right. Judging from her surprised expression, her mother must have cooked this involuntarily, haunted by the loss of her missing son. Once again, worry returned to Tracy ten-fold.

Feeling rather nauseous, Tracy scrunched her eyes tightly, only for Ness's pained face to flash across her mind, and with it, the horrible memory she had tried hard to repress in vain. She remembered the way Ness had protected her during the Starmen attack, the way he had selflessly sacrificed himself for a devastating blow to his ribs...

The way he had contorted and screamed in sheer agony.

Tracy's eyes snapped open, and she fought the urge not to puke. Her brother was fiercely loyal. She had no doubt that Ness would do anything for his friends if they went missing with him.

And Tracy hated it. In a selfish way, she hoped her brother would return in one piece, even if that meant one of his friends had to be injured in his stead. She felt immensely guilty at the thought, but Tracy couldn't help it...she wanted her big brother back. She needed Ness back safe and sound.

_Stop worrying over nothing, _Muttered the reasonable voice in her head. _Ness has PSI. He can fend for himself._

As small a condolence that statement was, it momentarily cleared her head of morbid thoughts.

But mom didn't know that Ness was psychic. Mom didn't know Ness could levitate, use telekinesis, emit streams of destructive sound waves from his hands. Poor mom was huddled sick with worry, wondering how her normal, baby boy was faring in a such a strange, cruel world.

Ness's face popped up in Tracy's mind once again. _Don't tell mom, _he had warned, completely terrified out of his wits. _You can't tell her I can use PSI!_

Tracy quickly snuck another glance down the table. Her mother's eyes were starting to mist over again. Mom never cried, but the defeated look on her face was back. It was so painful for Tracy to watch.

Strengthening her resolve, Tracy swallowed hard. _Sorry, brother. This is for your own good._

Taking a deep breath, she set down her fork with a loud clatter. "Mom, I have something to tell you."

Her exhausted mother met her eyes softly. "What is it, sweetie?"

_Here goes nothing_. "I might sound like I'm making this up, and I know, it'll sound really stupid! But...but...Ness..."

"But...?"

"Ness...he can..." Tracy swallowed hard, scrunching her eyes in growing trepidation. "Ness has psychic powers." Her mother didn't respond, and panicking, Tracy plowed through, desperate to prove her point. "It's true! I saw it with my own eyes! Once he flew up the stairs! And yeah! Last month, he set the stove on fire! WITHOUT turning it on or anything! And-"

"...I see."

Tracy almost spat out her water in disbelief. "W-What? You believe me?"

Her mother met her eyes. "I've known it for a while, dear," she said gently.

Tracy was stunned. She had expected her mother to laugh. Or maybe belittle her with a protest, a _honey, magic doesn't exist _or something else along those lines. "But how?" Tracy sputtered, wiping at her face. "It was a secret-"

"I'm your mother, Tracy," she replied softly, setting down her napkin. "I've raised you both for a long while. Why shouldn't I be able to tell when you two are lying?"

Guilt seared Tracy's heart. She swallowed hard. "Mom, we didn't mean to hide it from you, we just-"

"You weren't ready to tell me," her mother finished gently.

That awful feeling in the pit of Tracy's stomach plummeted to the floor.

The awkward silence was interrupted by the shrill ringing of the phone. Her mother sighed, slipping into the kitchen to wrap up their left-overs. "Tracy, can you answer the call?"

Her hopes sank like a stone. With a heavy heart, Tracy sighed, reluctantly trudging over the ringing phone and slowly picking up the receiver. "...Hello?"

Immediately, her eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. As if scalded, the middle-schooler shrieked in shock, dropping the phone in her disorientation. Hearing the loud clatter, her mother abruptly turned off the water.

"Tracy?! What's the matter?"

Moments later, Tracy burst into the kitchen, one hand covering the receiver. "MOM! Mom, you'd better answer this one. It's important!"

Taken aback, her mother wiped her hands on the dish cloth. "Who is it, sweetie?"

Tracy bit her lip.

"It's dad."

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

Choked gasps racked the air. His entire body pounded with pain.

What was happening?

What was going on?

Was he drowning?

"PK...PK-" he gasped before he was cut off. Water clogged his throat, and Poo sputtered violently before the river current viciously dragged him down. He kicked his feet in vain, only for his water-logged clothes to get in the way of his swimming. Poo raised his capped head with a gurgle, then coughed as another wave of water smothered his lips. An awful feeling started to creep up his leg, and Poo had enough baseball experience to recognize the symptoms of a cramp. He panicked, trying to drag himself back to the riverbank, but alas, there was nothing he could do when his calves began to sear with sharp pain.

_No!_

With a painful gurgle, Poo felt his struggling weaken. Slowly, he succumbed, allowing the rage of the water to drag his limp form around like a rag doll. Vague shouting filled his ears, and Poo thought he caught sight of a blur of yellow before the water submerged him completely.

The awful, suffocating feeling clawed into his burning lungs, and instinctively, Poo breathed, but where there was supposed to be _air_, there was _water, _and he was sinking, sinking,_sinking-_

Striped shirt. Brown satchel.

Then last of his precious bubbles pushed past his lips, and Poo knew no more.

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

Poo gasped awake. His lungs heaved, dying to _breathe_, and to his enormous relief, they drank in air. Sweet, fresh, air.

He sat up, slowly massaging his throbbing temples. "Ness," Poo muttered. The Dalaamese prince wasn't easily scared, but the visions he had been having for the past two days had been frightening at most.

_A strange, alien village burning up in flames..._

_The Final Needle resting in all its glory under the the cavernous ceiling of rocky, starry-eyed gemstones..._

_A flurry of baby-blue hexagons, and then a flash of a familiar face. Even now, Poo could feel the twin's heartless__ eyes boring into his skull._

All of them had been distinctly unpleasant, but none quite so terrifying as this. He could still feel the cold water submerging him, forcing itself down his lungs and suffocating his aching throat-

"Poo?"

The prince didn't turn around. "...You should be sleeping."

Ana shrugged uncomfortably, hugging herself. "You should be too," she pointed out.

Poo only closed his eyes. He shook his head slowly. "I had a dream. It is not important-"

Soft fingers settled on his palm like butterfly wings. Arms gently embraced him from behind, and Poo realized that he was shivering. "What's wrong, Poo?" Ana whispered. "You're usually so quiet, but it's not like you to be so withdrawn."

Poo fell silent. "I had a vision about Ness."

Ana pursed her lips. "I see." Her nightgown fanned out beneath her form like rose petals, soft and fragile. "I think Paula's been getting the same visions, but she refuses to tell me what they're about." Worry entered her voice. "What did you see?"

"Ness was drowning."

At the harsh voice, they turned their heads. Paula crawled her way over, careful not to disturb Kumatora and Picky, who were breathing deeply on their sides. Once she settled down next to Ana, Paula buried her head in her arms with a small whine.

"I just need...I just need a break from all _this_, you know?" Paula's voice sounded muffled. "I don't want to sleep. I don't want to sleep because...because..." She made a slightly strangled sound. "I hate nightmares..."

"Welcome to the club," Ana said wryly, scooting over to make on the couch.

Paula gave a weak laugh, which quickly faded. "That idiot," she muttered under her breath. "He _promised_ me that he's gonna be okay, so he'd _better_ be okay."

"But Ness can't swim," Poo mumbled.

Paula's eyes watered. "Ness can't swim," she repeated, rubbing her eyes. "He can't _swim_-"

"But he already knows, right?" Ana asked reasonably. "So all he has to do is avoid water. That's easy enough to do - the mountain's probably frozen solid by now."

"You're right, Ana," Poo muttered, even though he sounded doubtful. "Perhaps this is not a vision, but rather, a harmless nightmare..."

Paula turned away, falling unusually silent.

Suddenly, in a rare burst of initiative, Ana kneeled on the floor and clasped their hands. "I know you two aren't religious, but pray with me," she said quietly. "Please."

After a moment of hesitation, her friends complied. It wasn't so much the belief in a Superior Being, but rather the reassurance that they weren't alone. That the world couldn't possibly be so cruel.

That they weren't about to lose a friend.

Taking a deep breath, Ana began the prayer.

"_Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep..._"

Ana shifted. Her voice devolved into a soft whisper. "_If I shall die when I'm wake...I pray the Lord my soul to take._"

Clasping their hands, they closed their eyes as one.

_Amen._


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25 Setting**

**Past**

* * *

><p><span><strong>2nd Grade<strong>

"FREAK!"

Shrill screaming hit his ears, a clamor that jarred his mind like a crashing symbol. Feeling the sting of the slap, Pokey flinched, biting the inside of his cheek.

Eyes bulging out of her sockets, his mother shrieked, jabbing her finger at the shattered vase on the ground. Her short hair wildly fanned behind her face, mouth open wide like a terrible banshee. "Clumsy, lazy good-for-nothing! Get out! _GET OUT OUT MY SIGHT!_"

Ignoring the metallic pang of blood on his tongue, Pokey hastily leaped to his feet and ran, bursting through the door. Behind him, he heard a _whish_ of something heavy, and instinctively lurched away from the projectile.

_**BAM!**_

His mother's sharp high heels punched two holes into the plaster wall. Her final screams tore into his ears, then a third _**BAM!** _as he slammed the door in her face.

The poor boy fled. Pokey ran, barreling through neat, prim sidewalks and glowing yellow roofs of houses. Catching his breath in heavy huffs, he doubled over at the end of the block, tightly clutching his hands on his thighs. Something crawled across his back, and Pokey shivered.

Was it guilt? Anger?

Color enshrouded his moist eyes, blanketing them in a gentle wetness. Light slowly slivered into darkness as the first of Dawn tip-toed into day.

"Mom, I'm okay!"

Pokey raised his head.

The new kid stood by the driveway, enthusiastically chatting his mouth away. Ness must've said something silly, because one moment later, he was ducking, trying to run when his mother swooped forward to scoop him into a bear hug. Ness's laughter was infectious, playfully ringing through the air, and Pokey heard his mother murmur rebukes under her breath before pushing a baby-blue umbrella into his hands. Scrambling backwards, the boy whined loudly in protest, but his mother stood firm, ushering him back outside. Taking this as a signal to leave, the boy gave a large pout, then sprinted down the driveway with uplifted spirits.

Very quickly, Pokey turned away, feeling sick to his stomach.

"My mom loves me," Pokey said out loud, but his voice sounded rather small and faraway to his ears. Too tinny, too whiny.

_The voice of a brat,_ his mother would've said.

A queasy feeling of shame blossomed in his boiling blood, and gritting his molars, Pokey clenched his fists. "My mom loves me too!" he shouted, angrily challenging the dark Heavens above. "Just you wait and see! SHE LOVES ME!"

As if in response, the sky rumbled thunderously. The first droplets showered him in a drizzle of tears, pelting his broken heart with its spiteful pellets. With a choke, Pokey bared his teeth against the looming thunderstorm.

"She cares! SHE REALLY DOES!"

**Ratta-tata-tata-**

Icy rain battered his back, stabbing his skin. Wiping his soaking face, Pokey shivered, standing still with slumped shoulders.

Oh, who was he deluding?

Maybe he should die. Die in the rain.

Would anyone else care?

Probably not. Nobody liked a fat freak.

"Hey."

Alarmed, Pokey shot his head up. Ness was staring at him, clutching his blue umbrella from behind his fingers.

Silent outrage seared his raw throat. "What do _you_ want, newbie?" Pokey snarled half-heartedly. "Go ahead, tease me! Call me Mr. McFatty_, _or whatever you all call me at school. Haha, let's all make fun of Pokey because he's _so_ fat, and dumb, and stupid-" Pokey abruptly choked, rubbing at his eyes. "Why bother? You're all the same. Next week, I bet you'll be just like _them_."

Ness's features softened, and he lowered his umbrella. "You're...Pokey, aren't you?"

"Go away."

"You shouldn't stand in the rain. It's cold outside."

"Don't mind, don't care."

"...Do you have an umbrella?"

"Who cares?! Why the heck do YOU care if I don't have a DAMN UMBRELLA?" Pokey screamed, slashing a hand into the air. He heard Ness gasp a little at the "bad word" he used, and immediately felt a surge of vicious satisfaction. "I don't want your pity! GET OUT! GET OUT OF MY SIGHT, BRAT!"

There was a lingering pause, followed by a pitter-patter of feet against the puddles.

The boy was gone.

The temporary thrill of victory rushed through Pokey's veins, only to be banished by disappointment. Pokey swallowed back his dismay as the excitement of his rage rapidly fled his bones, and he suddenly shuddered, hugging himself in the shivering cold. But it didn't matter whether or not his clothes were wet and the sky was raining; if Pokey walked to class late, then the school would call his parents. And if his parents ever found out he skipped school, they'd..._they'd_-

Pokey sobbed, clapping his hands against the hot tears seeping out of his eyes. With no one around to watch him, he finally broke down the barriers to his terrified heart.

Pokey cried.

He cried his aching heart out. He cried for his mother to care, he cried for existing, he cried for not being a better son.

Swamped by the waterfall of unwelcome emotions, Pokey couldn't feel; the cold numbed his senses, drowning them in an icy breath. But even as he wept, something still didn't _feel_ right, and soon enough, a slither of realization tickled his raised scalp. No longer could Pokey feel the rain pounding against his skin or seeping its icy waves into his hair. Timidly, the boy opened his eyes.

Blue filled his vision.

Ness stood next to him, awkwardly holding his bright, azure umbrella over their heads. Violet eyes looked unusually solemn as Ness avoided eye contact, pretending not to notice the fat tears rolling down Pokey's cheeks.

Pokey swallowed. "What do you want _now?_"

The smaller boy blinked in confusion. "That's what friends do, in'nit? Walk to school together."

Pokey stared agape, taken aback by his words.

Wow.

This kid was _actually-_

A frickin'_ idiot_.

"Stop playing dumb with me." Pokey clenched his teeth, feeling a sudden urge to rip the umbrella out of Ness's hands and snap it in two. Standing to full height, Pokey dangerously loomed over him, brandishing his heavy fists. "You. Pig's Butt. I'm gonna...I'm _gonna_...punch your face in, you hear me? I'm gonna..."

Then Pokey broke out into furious tears, proceeding to bawl his eyes out. Out of the corner of Pokey's eyes, Ness flitted around in a confused panic, frantically trying to calm him down, but Pokey didn't care.

At least somebody else did.

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

**3rd Grade**

"What are you doing?"

"Walking the dog!" Ness eagerly paused with a hand dangling in mid-air. A flick of the wrist, then a _whizzzz: _as if like magic, the yo-yo responded to his touch, chasing up its tail of string like a happy rottweiler. Ness lowered his voice into a whisper. "Don't tell anyone, but my dad bought this for me. It's special."

"Really? I saw the same one at the dollar store." Pokey frowned, remembering how his father would always scoff at them every time they passed the toy aisle. "Anyone could buy those things."

But Ness shook his head with wide eyes. "My dad _picked _this one. He says it's lucky."

Pokey studied the cheap, dented plastic red yo-yo. It didn't look very lucky.

But because it was Ness, Pokey supposed he should humor him. "...I guess."

"You wanna try?"

"Huh?"

Ness grinned, shoving the yo-yo into his chubby hands. "Wanna try walking the dog?"

"I'm good."

"Try!"

Pokey stepped back, feebly bringing his arms up in protest. "I don't know how..."

"It's not too hard! Just snap your wrist when the yoyo touches down. Like _this_!" Ness encouraged, giving another flawless demonstration before clapping Pokey on the back. "I bet you can learn it quicker than I did!"

"But what if I can't?"

"Then we have all of recess tomorrow to practice!" Ness said cheerfully. "Practice makes perfect! That's what my dad says."

Overwhelmed by the sudden request, Pokey's eyes widened, and he stepped back with shaky legs. "N-Ness, I c-can't!" he choked. "I'll...I'll break it!"

"You won't break it," Ness said firmly with utter conviction in his words. "It's the lucky yo-yo, remember?"

Something about those words stirred something within him. Very carefully, Pokey curled his fingers inward, clasping the yo-yo in his palm. It was pleasantly cool to the touch. With a concentrated frown, Pokey lowered his hand, ready to snap his wrist up at the last second-

Too late. The yo-yo string sadly pooled around his feet.

But Ness didn't laugh. If possible, Ness's face brightened up even more. "You were sooooo close!" he yelled, pointing at the string. "Like, _this_ close!"

"What? Was I really _t__hat_ close?"

"_THAT_ close!"

_"That _close?"

"YEAH!" Ness yelled, literally jumping in place from his excitement. "Do it again!"

Usually, Pokey hated getting orders. Orders meant, _do this, do that, nevermind stupid, you always do everything wrong don't you pig's butt-_

But with Ness...it didn't feel the same way. Anything Ness said sounded more like a suggestion if anything, and Pokey immediately complied, feeling a surge of warmth blossom in his chest as the yo-yo shakily, but steadily climbed its way up the string. He yelped, almost dropping the wobbly yo-yo in shock.

"I...I did it?" Pokey stammered in disbelief.

Ness whooped loudly. "I told you you could do it!"

"I did it! But..._how_?"

With a wide grin, Ness leaned over with a whisper. "Lucky yo-yo."

Pokey stared at the polished surface. For some reason, he could almost imagine the magic swirling around it, infusing the yo-yo with luckiness. Instantly, Pokey couldn't deny the slight jealousy pricking his veins.

"I wish I had a lucky yo-yo," Pokey muttered, enviously eyeing it in his hands. Reluctantly, he handed it back to its owner, waiting for Ness to pocket it. But Ness made no motion to take it back.

"Keep it."

Pokey doubled over in surprise. He must've been hearing things. "What?!"

"If you keep it, you can walk the dog anytime you want."

"You're letting me _keep_ this?!"

Ness shrugged, pocketing his hands in his ratty-tatty clothes. He flashed Pokey a toothy smile. "My dad always told me that giving things to people always makes them luckier. So if I give my yo-yo to you, you'll have my dad's luck AND my luck, so the yo-yo will be _twice_ as lucky."

Pokey blinked. "Wow..." he whispered, running his fingers over the smooth plastic. "I guess it really is lucky..."

Ness grinned. "Maybe if you ever wanna give it to someone else, then we can start a lucky chain!"

_Are you crazy? I'd never give this away_, Pokey thought, slipping the yo-yo into his oversized jeans. _I'm keeping this. It's my lucky yo-yo now._

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

**4th Grade**

With a scowl, Pokey squished his sneakers against the cement. "I can't hang around you anymore."

Ness looked aghast. "Why not?"

_Because my dad doesn't like you,_ Pokey thought, but instead, other nasty words poured out of his lips. "Because."

"Because why?"

"Because I hate you."

At his response, Ness halted and studied him carefully. Despite Ness's naive nature, Pokey hated how those violet eyes seemed to stare right into him. Ness returned to kicking his legs on the swing. "No, you don't."

"How would _you_ know? You don't understand how I feel!" Pokey leaped down from the swing. Large feet punched the sand in a hiss. "It's all your fault! Like, why do you ALWAYS dress like that?" Pokey demanded angrily, pointing at Ness's blue, faded overalls.

Ness blinked in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"You always wear blue! Blue this, blue that! Why don't you ever dress in anything else?"

"What's wrong with blue?"

Pokey clutched his head. "Nothing! EVERYTHING! My dad says blue clothes are always the only things on sale. He says that your family's poor!"

Ness shook his head, puzzled. "My family's not poor," he said earnestly. "If we were poor, my dad would've said so."

Pokey narrowed his eyes. "I think your dad's lying to you."

Abruptly stopping the swing with a sudden yank on the iron chain-link, Ness paused. "My dad wouldn't _ever_ lie to me."

"How would _you_ know? My dad lies to me all the time," Pokey sneered, crossing his arms. "What's there to say that YOUR parents don't lie to you too?"

"My parents would never lie to me!" Ness clamored indignantly. A wild look blazed in his violet eyes. "My parents are good people!"

"Lucky you," Pokey muttered under his breath, bitterly kicking away a pebble with his foot.

Ness fell silent. Sitting on the motionless swing, Ness cast his eyes downward, all of the sudden finding his sneakers rather interesting to look at. "...Pokey?"

"Yeah?"

"If...If I was poor...would you hate me?"

Pokey halted. This was it, the moment Pokey had finally been waiting for. _JUST SAY YES!_ the voice in his mind screamed. _TELL NESS THAT YOU HATE HIM, THAT YOU HATE HIS GUTS AND NEVER WANT TO SEE HIM AGAIN! _

Then maybe his father would finally stop beating the crap out of him.

Yeah, right.

"Don't be stupid," Pokey mumbled just as quietly. "I don't hate you. I don't think I ever could."

In response, Ness shifted ever-so-slightly in his seat. For the rest of lunch, they sat in the swings: two boys in the full, but lonely playground.

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

**5th Grade**

It all went downhill from there.

They were playing with Legos. Giant, block armies clashed in the ravishing beauty of New Pork City, and Ness pretended to lay siege, commanding his forces to attack, only for Pokey to block with several, plastic soldiers of his own. Pokey was in the upper hand too, and they were about to climax into the grandest of all Boss Battles-

Then all of a sudden, the speaker heads crackled open with loud static.

"Mr. Thomas, can you please send Ness to the Principal's office?"

"OOOOOOOOOOOH," the entire class had burst out in unison, staring at Ness and waggling their eyebrows in the playful manner of teasing expected from fifth graders. Nobody took the announcement seriously anyway; Goodie two-shoes Ness never got into trouble.

Pokey set down his Spider Mech. "What did you do?" he whispered.

Evidently, Ness was just as perplexed. "I dunno." Shrugging off his puzzlement, Ness jumped to his feet, patting the dirt off his pants. "I guess I'll find out. Everything'll probably be okay." He gestured wildly at the Legos with an arm, and flashed Pokey his trademark grin. "By the way, you'd better not finish this Boss Battle without me!"

"I won't," Pokey smirked. "Loser."

Ness made a face, then hurried out the classroom door.

That was the last time anyone saw him in a long while.

Ness never returned to the classroom that day. Nor did he return the next. Nor the next one after that. The absences flooded in, leaving Pokey alone, hurt, and confused. There was always Ninten to talk to, but they'd never gotten along too well, even when Ness introduced them to each other. Still, every now and then, they would sometimes share an uncomfortable glance or two, then stare at the empty seat as if they could teleport Ness there with sheer willpower alone.

By the end of the week, Pokey was loathe to admit it...but he began to feel worried.

_Where was Ness? _

_Did he get offended when I called him a loser?_

_Maybe he moved, and forgot to tell me. Or maybe he _did_ tell me, and I forgot!_

"I'm sorry, Pokey," Ninten said yet again when Pokey lumbered over to ask for the bajillionth time. The Podunk boy looked just as worried as he did. "I don't know where Ness is..."

Much to Pokey's relief, the Ness himself finally returned to class a week later. As soon as those ratty-tatty sneakers had stepped through the door Monday morning, Pokey had leaped up so quickly that he had almost upturned the entire table. Heart bursting with joy, Pokey flocked over to his side, ready to berate Ness for leaving him behind without a single notice.

But something was off. Cheerful, optimistic Ness was gone, replaced by angry, sad Ness. The infectious, trademark smile had all but vanished, now reduced to a shadow on his pale lips. His skin looked awfully sunken; the warm rosiness in his cheeks a sickly yellow. Last Week's Ness was ready to do everything; This Week's Ness didn't feel like doing anything.

In fact, when Pokey had approached, Ness had shrunk back with a strangely timid look in his eyes. Pokey could never forget the expression Ness had worn, and it scared him.

Fear. Ness was terrified.

"Ness...?"

The smaller boy didn't raise his head. "Pokey, I...you should...go."

With a gulp, Pokey dropped his hands. "Did your dad..._beat _you?"

Something flashed in Ness's haunted eyes, and it took Pokey a while to recognize it as hurt. "My dad's never coming back," Ness said in a barely-audible whisper.

Instantly, Pokey felt relieved. "That's a good thing, right?"

"No, it's not!" Ness snapped, pushing past him and stomping towards the playground.

As time passed, Ness became more and more withdrawn. He would brood on his own, muttering random phrases that sounded like gibberish under his breath. In fact, it got to such a degree that Mr. Thomas suggested that Ness seek medical attention. By sheer accident, Pokey had blundered into the classroom during the fated parent-teacher conference.

"Ness shows symptoms of depression. I know a good psychiatrist who can prescribe him treatment-"

"Mr. Thomas, my son doesn't need medication. What he needs is time. He was very close to my ex-husband, and the divorce shook him very hard-"

Pokey hastily left before either party noticed him.

Even Ninten noticed how Ness kept to himself and decided to pry, but despite his good intentions, the Podunk boy had caught Ness at a bad time: Poor Ninten ended up twisting his ankle when Ness shoved him off the playground slide. But Pokey knew that Ness didn't mean it; Ninten had always been delicate and brittle-boned, and Ness hadn't known the slide had been right behind them. Nevertheless, Mr. Thomas had called both families in to talk about Ness's unruly behavior.

There were no hard feelings after the incident, but every now and then, Pokey caught the incredibly guilty look on Ness's face every time Ninten limped across the playground.

Finally, one afternoon, Ness stole one last look at Ninten's cast...and snapped. As soon as the bell rang, Ness rushed outside, sprinting across the street, brown satchel bouncing roughly on his back. The gray clouds began to rumble overhead, and hearing a loud clatter, Pokey instinctively trained his eyes on the street.

Blue. Bright Blue.

Ness had dropped his umbrella onto the ground.

Pokey took one step towards it, then hesitated, glancing up at the ominously thundering sky. If he arrived home late, wet and sopping, Pokey knew his mother would scream at him again for getting the carpet wet, and his father would beat him for his insolence.

But as he watched Ness's form retreat farther and farther away, something stirred in his ribcage. Something strange, something new.

For the first time in his life...Pokey decided to act for someone else.

Immediately, he lurched forward, hastily scrambling onto his legs. "Ness, wait!"

A strike of thunder. A growl of wind.

Not seeming to hear him, Ness had ducked into the next street. Pokey followed, squashing down his complaints and ignoring his wheezing muscles. Ness better feel grateful for him...

Splashing through the puddles, Pokey abruptly screeched to a halt. Back turned, Ness was standing in front of an empty, worn down convenience store, squeezing both fists so tightly that Pokey feared his fingers would snap off. Black bangs obscured Ness's face from view, permanently masking them in deep shadow.

Pokey couldn't read his expression.

Tentatively walking forward, the blond swallowed hard. "Ness..."

"Go away, Pokey."

Pokey stepped forward, shakily bringing his arm up. "You left your umbrella."

Ness said nothing. His shoulders shook violently.

Thunder crashed, louder in his ears, and Pokey resisted the urge to flinch. "NESS, YOU PIG'S BUTT! TAKE YOUR FAT UMBRELLA!" Pokey bellowed. "ARE YOU TRYING TO GET SICK IN THE RAIN?!"

"I'll never get sick."

Pokey halted. There was something odd about the way Ness phrased his words. Pokey swallowed down his rising trepidation. "What..What do you mean?"

Ness slowly turned around. Pokey noted how his violet eyes looked cloudy and bloodshot. They seemed to almost glow eerily in the oncoming darkness. "I'll never get sick ever again," Ness said quietly, sounding a thousand years old. "My body will just heal itself. I can touch fire...and it doesn't burn my fingers anymore."

"What are you talking about?!"

"Last week, when dad left...I got really sick. Mom didn't let me go to school because I got really, REALLY sick. And now, I can do all kinds of strange things." Ness let out a choked sob. "I'm scared, Pokey. What's wrong with me? Am I going to die?"

Pokey stood in place, unsure of what to do. He _had_ to get Ness back home before it started to rain, or else they'd both get sick. And maybe...Maybe if Pokey hurried home back in time, his mom wouldn't get mad that he got wet and drenched the carpet, and dad wouldn't bring out the metal-studded belt-

Ness paled, then nodded, wiping his eyes. "Right, I don't want you to get in trouble. Let's go home."

"What do you mean?"

"...Didn't you just say something a second ago?"

First confusion, then cold realization trickled down Pokey's spine. Blanching, Pokey stumbled backwards in icy shock. "O-Oh my god," he managed to stammer out. "You...You can read _minds_...?!"

Ness froze. Watching the horrified expression on Pokey's face, Ness gasped, raising his shaky fingers to his mouth in terror. "I didn't mean to! I swear I didn't mean to!"

"WHAT DID YOU SEE?!" Pokey screamed, dragging roughly Ness by the shirt collar; But even as Ness tried to push him off, Pokey let out a cry of pain - a small current of electricity had passed between Ness's fingers in a tiny burst of static. Pokey climsily tumbled to the ground in a heap.

At once, Ness was on his feet, reaching out to pull him up. "Pokey-"

Pokey instantly swatted his hand away. "Don't touch me, _freak_," Pokey spat, trembling on uneven knees. "You...I _trusted _you...!"

"I didn't know I could read minds!"

"Liar! How many times did you READ MY MIND, huh? I BET YOU ENJOYED EVERY BIT OF IT, DIDN'T YOU?!" Pokey spat savagely, getting immense satisfaction every time Ness flinched. "Laughed your ass off every time my dad beat me, I bet!"

"I never read your mind b-before," Ness stammered desperately, reaching out to him. "Pokey, I swear I didn't!"

Ignoring him, Pokey dug into his pocket, fishing out the cheap, plastic yo-yo. He noticed how Ness's eyes widened in realization, and dangled the red yo-yo in front of his face. "You want this back, don't you?"

"..."

"THEN TAKE IT BACK!" Pokey screamed, yanking the yo-yo violently by the string. "TAKE BACK YOUR STUPID LUCK AND YOUR STUPID UMBRELLA TOO, _FREAK_!"

In a fluid motion, Pokey slammed the yo-yo down. For a bright second, time stopped, and the yo-yo slowly sank through the air as if suspended-

Then came the ear-wrenching _**CRASH!**_

In a fluid motion, the yo-yo smashed against the cement in a disgusting mess of springs and ripped plastic. Sharp shards scattered across the pavement, skittering forward feebly in protest.

Angrily tossing the blue umbrella aside, Pokey marched away without a single word, sweeping his hands across his stinging eyes. Had he turned around, Pokey might've noticed Ness's tortured expression, might've seen The Boy So Strong finally dissolve into tears-

But Pokey never turned back. Not even once.

Pokey didn't care about anyone else anymore.

And that was the way things ought to have been from the very start.

* * *

><p><span><strong>Author's Note: <strong>

**Heya guys, I'm back. First update of 2016. :) Thanks for exam well-wishes.**

**I'm moving my author's notes to the bottom of the chapter so it doesn't impede people who don't like to read A/Ns (I don't blame you haha).**

**I posted the first half of the chapter up today - still working on the rest of the dialogue. Sorry for the short chapter. :/ I know I've already pulled the "Whoops, chapter is longer than I expected" card too many times to count, but chapter 26 will be FO SHO the last chapter of the arc. Besides, I already have some fun things planned for Arc IV, and trust me: I can't wait to get _that_ posted. *Nwehehehe* **

**I'm sorry if I've taken a slight break from Fanfiction; I'm taking the MCAT in mid-August (A 7-hour standardized test for med school), and am spending time now to study. It sounds stupid to study for a standardized test 8 months in advance, but this test is _literally_ my future. I can't afford the money to take a gap year just because I screwed up, and I hope all of you can understand. :)**

**But yeah, I'll finish up Chapter 26 soon...whenever time permits. Expect to see more Pokey and more Hurt/Comfort hooray**

**Onward to Reviews!**

**ConnorTheSpellingPro: **Yeah lol, I had so much to write in the past two chapters, but plotwise, not much really happened. XD It was a nice break to round out characters. And yeah, it sounds silly to leave the crown prince unguarded in real life, but I believe Kim Jong Un studied in Switzerland posing as the son of a driver, and nobody noticed until years later. ._. That's a weird food for thought haha.

Yeah, Paula and Claus are very similar in terms of personality, but I think Claus is still more emotionally extreme. He doesn't really have a middle ground (e.g. threatening Ness all because he befriended Lucas), and this makes him less approachable. I think it's also because Paula _**is** _a girl; psychologically-speaking, girls have a better tendency to socialize (before anyone bashes me on this, I'm not saying that girls are superior to boys - lol my social skills are **_TERRIBLE_**). And ahhh, kind of; at first I really missed goofing off with my brother when I went to college, so I suppose I did feel a bit like Tracy in Chapter 24.

For some reason, the ideas flow _much_ better on the Doc Manager than on Word. It's incredibly weird. Whelp, I'm weird. And lol no, I didn't expect the fic to go down the whole "WORLD IS ENDING" when I began. XD It wasn't until Chapter 3 I was like "Fudge it" and completely switched plots. It was a risky move...but it paid off. I like this plot WAY better. :)

**C.S. Alvarez: **Oh geez, I forgot about the whole "Claus is Sexy" phrase. XD lmao. Why am I even writing on this website. Sorry about the late update by the way. ^^

**Plushiepaw: **Oh no, not you too. DX Great, now everyone's pointing out the "Claus is Sexy" phrase. jk jk, I kid. ;)

Ahh fudge, I know how you like reading long chapters. DX This chapter must've been disappointing lol. I'll try to post the rest of the chapter once it's done; Chapter 25 is kinda disjointed without it. And yes; first everyone goes to school, and now the world is dying. You know, the _usual_ highschool life. ;)

Nope, no angsty visions this time. Just painful memories...and Tony being overly cool next chapter. B) Haha having never felt unrequited love, I think I rushed Poo's feelings a little. XD And yeah...Wess being a tiger dad. :x As for if Flint will find out where his sons are...I'll leave that up to you. ;)

Yeah, there isn't much to say in this chapter either. XD I think a lot of my "plot-stall" chapters are written to expand on character...and write feels. Lots and lots of feels.

S̶o̶r̶r̶y̶ ̶I̶'̶m̶ ̶a̶ ̶t̶e̶r̶r̶i̶b̶l̶e̶ ̶p̶e̶r̶s̶o̶n̶

**PSIBoy: **Heya PSIBoy! Oh wow, I didn't know you've been reading this story since day one it was posted lol. Oh geez, my writing was so awful back then haha. XD Just thinking about it makes me cringe. But yep, world is crumbling to pieces woooo here comes the angst train

And HOLY SHITE it has been over a year since I posted this! Wow...I wasted 365 days of my time on writing fictional characters hahahaha

Yep, that's the same MechaLion that attacked the boys. :) Agreed; life is full of tough choices. I was debating whether or not to let the lion live, but then I killed it because I thought it'd serve a more meaningful lesson. D: S̶o̶r̶r̶y̶x2000 ̶I̶'̶m̶ ̶a̶ ̶t̶e̶r̶r̶i̶b̶l̶e̶ ̶p̶e̶r̶s̶o̶n̶ I'm glad that you liked Teddy's introduction though. :) I struggle through actions scenes and humor, so it's nice to know that one person found _something _funny ahahaha

Yeah, moms know everything. O_O It scares me sometimes how much my mom can know how I feel without me telling her. Then again, she's known me for pretty much my entire life, so yeah...it'd be strange if she didn't.

BuzzBuzz is an AU Ninten? Interesting food for thought. ;) We'll see, my friend. We'll see. And lol, I'm glad I didn't say that to your Ganon comment. You TOTALLY would have called me out on it XD And as for the nightmare with Ness drowning...who knows what'll happen? ;D

**Guest: ***Reads review: "If Ness actually drowns, I'm going to scream"*

Whelp, it looks like you'll have to scream, then.

...

...

Just kidding.

...Or am I? :O

**A Fan:** **Your responses are so long so I'll separate them by chapter. Not that I hate long responses; I love them! :) Thanks for spending your time reviewing my fic. I really appreciate it.**

**-Chapter 24**

lmao 7-year-old Poo shouting in a tiny 7-year-old voice. XD That image is forever stuck in my head. And YES, I do read the "Chosen Four" comics by Darrow; they were the first resource I used to get familiar with the plot of Earthbound (because I never played it haha). And yeah, there was a setting box. :) I think it was hidden by the Author's Note - I will move all A/Ns to the bottom of the chapter to avoid future confusion.

Yeah, you're right. The "ginger-head" refers to Claus. And oh dear, it must be hard to keep track of three fics at once. D:

And haha oh geez, I didn't think of it that way. XD I will see what I can do to change the dialogue if it's confusing ("I'm your FUUUU-rend" lolz, did not see that one coming and am incredibly disappointed in myself). *Face-mountain* But if you're fine with me keeping it the way it is just for comic relief, then I'll probably not change it haha. ...Watch somebody else comment on the same thing years later haha

Oh, come off it, A Fan. Kumatora loves to say PUNCH-lines. ;D

Has Giygas really gotten a hold of Lucas/Claus already? ;) We'll find out soon. Nwehehehe.

** -Chapter 25 **

Ah, I see. I'll change up the Italics. None of my chapters have been corrected yet, but I'll work on correcting all of the dialogue in previous chapters and clear up the confusion.

**Past conversations/Telepathy:** _"I am awesome."_

**Thoughts:** _I am awesome._

Kumatora hasn't met Wess officially until Chapter 24, but she knows Duster very well. I imagine that one day, it just kind of slipped, and Duster told her about the origin of his limp. :) And thanks. :) Wess took me some time to write though, and I find extreme irony that he is a police officer in this fic. Maybe it's because he's a thief in Mother 3. ^^;

We'll see more of Picky next chapter. :) Yeah, lol, Picky doesn't know PSI, and he's relatively younger than the protags, so it's hard to fit him into an active role. I can imagine that everyone would become really worried about him.

And ugh for Onion-eye syndrome. Damn onions, always striking at the wrong times. Well, rest be assured that Onion-eye syndrome will get worse as we progress.

Take care!


	26. Chapter 26

**Setting: Past**

Ancient History was the bane of sixth grade.

To be fair, the subject itself was easy to follow, but Mr. Yado, while highly generous to a fault, sported a _massive _workload that forced even the toughest student to cry for mercy. As misery often bred company, everyone begged to work in pairs, intuitively translating the daily "do your brainless busy-work" to "heck, if I'm suffering, then I'm not suffering alone." It was for this reason most of the students worked with a partner; no one was ever found alone if they could help it, and nobody wanted to be that lonely loner except for the stray oddball or two.

For obvious reasons, Pokey had been stuck alone, easily cast aside as one of the said "oddballs."

But he didn't particularly care, because Ness had been too. For whatever reason, Ness was always alone, even going as far to politely refuse offers from other friends. It was a strange, yet satisfying feeling; every time Pokey would look up from his desk, Ness was there, violet eyes furrowed in deep concentration. And as terrible as it felt, every time he spotted Ness working alone, Pokey drew an immense feeling of comfort in his heart.

...Until today.

Under hushed whispers, Ness pointed down at the map of Mesopotamia, obvious excitement dancing in his violet eyes. He shot out a string of words from his lips, rapidly muttering something to the person beside him, and in turn, Lucas's voice curiously rose and fell in the incantation of a question.

"What? You _didn't_!"

"Yes, I did," Ness said proudly. "Heh, you wouldn't believe how loud Tracy screamed!"

"Bet she wasn't too happy with you after that."

"Hey, all I did was hide under the stairs and do THIS._"_ Cross-eyed, Ness wiggled his eyebrows, goofily lolling out his tongue in a silly expression. "BLEEEEEH."

"Ew, gross!" Laughing, Lucas shoved him in the shoulder. "That's disgusting!"

"What? _This?"_

"NESS!"

The fat smile on Ness's face was hard to miss, teetering on his lips and threatening to spill into happy laughter. And to Pokey's sheer astonishment, it wasn't a forced "_I'm okay, but I'm really not_" smile, but a warm "_I'm happy that you're happy_" smile that he had once been directed towards his former neighbor.

The drastic change was hard to miss: the serious boy's features, once hardened by dull darkness, had uplifted in bright hope. Rich violet eyes roiled in dazzling shades of ecstasy, and a healthy hue had returned to his cheeks, infusing it in a warm, fiery glow. Ever since Pokey had left him, Ness had drawn a bitter barrier around himself, shielding himself from the world, but somehow, Lucas had done the unimaginable and cracked it right open.

An extremely sour taste seeped into Pokey's tongue. Catching himself staring at the duo for far too long, Pokey scowled, then forced his eyes onto his own textbook.

**_The Ancient Egyptians used characters called hieroglyphics to convey their thoughts..._**

Ness could read thoughts. Ness was a filthy mind-reader, a freak of nature who didn't deserve Pokey's friendship.

**_They oversaw the construction of many famous monuments despite the hot, overwhelming climate..._**

Then why did he feel all hot and bothered inside? Like he was-

Hah! Impossible.

There was _no_ way Pokey could be jealou-

A shift of motion caught his vision, and Pokey narrowed his eyes. The pair must have finished the homework, because Lucas was reading ahead like always, drinking in the textbook like it were some rare Elixir of Life. Beside him, caught in a rather playful mood, Ness peered over his friend's shoulder to read whatever passage his friend was on.

"Euphrates. Haha, that sounds like a disease."

"Mmhmm."

A poke. "Lucas, I'm _boooored_."

"Mmhmm."

Another poke. "Hey. Hey, Lucas."

"Mm?"

Ness lazily skimmed over their completed homework. "You spelled _Tigris _wrong."

Lucas blinked, turning his head. "...I did?"

"Question 10. You wrote _Tigress_ River." Ness lightly prodded the paper.

As if on cue, Lucas stammered, flustering in a tasteful shade of bright red. Caught by a series of mad giggles, Ness clapped his hands to his mouth, then playfully jostled Lucas by the elbow. Bashful at his own mistake, Lucas returned the teasing look with a sheepish smile.

Pokey clenched his fists so tightly that his pencil snapped into two. Pokey hated him so much: Stupid Lucas with his stupid, blond hair and the stupid, quiet way he talked. Pokey hated it, absolutely hated _all_ of it. Furiously flicking away the sharp wooden splinters digging into his fingers, Pokey shoved his desk away, feeling an indescribable urge to punch something HARD. Or preferably, _someone._

But Pokey wasn't stupid. A rough bruising every now and then was easily concealable, but beating Lucas up black and blue would cost him a lifetime of Hell in the hands of an enraged older twin brother. And as much as he hated to admit it, Claus was _definitely_ not someone Pokey wanted to mess with.

Violently tearing at hair, Pokey almost screamed in frustration.

It wasn't fair! Out of all people, why did _Lucas_ have to be one with such an overprotective twin?! Pokey was beaten up every day, but _he_ didn't have someone to protect _him_! It wasn't fair; it just wasn't fair at ALL!

**SLAM!**

The shocking sound deafened their ears.

"Sorry," Claus muttered, even though he didn't look very sorry at all. As he picked up his fallen textbook, everyone else heeded him no attention, returning to finish their own worksheets.

Or at least, _everyone_ _else_ did. Curiously, Pokey eyed the less-than-happy expression on Claus's face. For starters, Ninten must've been sick again, because the lonely gingerhead was sitting by himself in the corner of the classroom.

But for whatever reason, Claus looked unusually tense, frosty blue eyes glowering in obvious discomfort, and Pokey slowly followed the ginger's pointed glare to the center of the room. As Lucas let out a soft laugh, Pokey caught the increasingly dirty looks Claus shot at the back of a familiar, black-haired someone. The ginger's spindly fingers tightened on the History book he had "accidentally" dropped, whitening at the very fingertips as though itching to strangle a certain baseball captain.

Then in a bout of nervousness, Lucas involuntarily tugged at his shirt sleeve, and as a thick bruise peeked out from beneath its hem (courtesy of Yours Truly), Claus's expression deepened into a dark frown.

"Oho. Wouldn't _you_ like to know who bruised him up?" Pokey spoke softly, eyeing Claus's dark furrow in barely-restrained glee. "Too bad you _don't._ I mean, I bet you'd do anything to return the favor if you _did-"_

Pokey froze.

An idea popped into his head, a poisonous plot so dastardly clever and devious that no one would've even _dared_ to conceive even the merest _thought_ of it-

With a surreptitious slip of a finger, the Pokey silently beckoned Orange Kid over. The latter looked rather disgruntled for being disturbed in whatever lunch money scheme he had been plotting, but instantly, his annoyance evaporated into a look of polite interest when Pokey smoothly slipped a few dollar bills into the back of his pocket. With his lackey satisfied, Pokey leaned forward and whispered something into his ear.

As Orange Kid listened, an almost identical sneer slowly crawled across his face. His black, beady eyes flitted unpleasantly, first from Claus, then to Ness. Wiping his face blank like a clean slate, he adopted a painfully contrite expression, and without further hesitation, sidled to the back of the classroom to deliver his "news."

Pokey couldn't hear anything from this distance, but whatever Orange Kid said had done the trick. A myriad of emotions rapidly flashed through Claus's icy eyes: lingering suspicion shifted into uncertainty, which quickly dissolved into horrified shock that, by the passing second, began to dawn into fury of the _most terrible_ _proportions-_

The bell rang.

As if on cue, Claus abruptly stormed past Orange Kid, seizing a surprised Lucas by the arm and dragging him out of the classroom. When Ness tried to follow, Claus shot him an expression so murderous that he froze right in his tracks. Obviously confused by the turn of events, Ness blinked once, then shrugged, hitching his bag up and strolling off to class.

Orange Kid's smirk never left his face. Pokey met his eyes, and Orange Kid nodded, throwing him two thumbs up.

"Nailed it," he mouthed, and in return, Pokey's own lips twisted into an ugly smirk. Now all that was left was to ensure that a certain blond understood his point _VERY _clearly. If not a few bruises, then a broken arm should do the trick.

Because if Pokey couldn't be Ness's best friend...

Then no one else could.

* * *

><p><span><strong>Setting: Present<strong>

"...Ugh...where's the damn aspirin...?"

The fresh welts on his back throbbed like crazy, and as Pokey struggled to his feet, he hissed in pain, feeling one of the open cuts ooze open. Each sore welt stabbed into his skin like hot knives, a kind memento of his drunk father's belt.

_At least it's over,_ Pokey thought bitterly, hobbling unsteadily over to the kitchen. Tightly gripping the marble counter, he collapsed into a chair, hissing as the impact flared up a sore cut. Bitterly, he lounged in his seat, nursing his aching pride and sore injuries, then scrunched his eyes tightly against the unpleasant flashback.

_"What the Hell did I teach you?!" Aloysius bellowed amidst his wife's shrill screeching. The unpleasant smack of flesh on flesh echoed uncomfortably throughout the room. "How many times did I tell you to keep your brother in check?! He might've blabbed everything to the police!"_

_"Look at what you've done! You've just exposed our family!" his mother shrieked as Aloysius kicked him in the side. Pokey howled in pain before curling up, dry-heaving into a sob. In his winded state, he barely heard snatches of the frantic conversation._

_ "Aloysius, what do we do now?" His mother glanced at his father in terror, and she waved her arms in distress. "We're done for! When the authorities come, we'll go to jail!"_

_His father sighed in frustration and massaged his own temples. "Damn Chief Strong. I had so much dirt on him before he resigned as chief! To think that he's been reduced a mere phys ed teacher...Bah! Makes my blood BOIL. But I think I do know a few strings I can still pull at the department," he grunted, stroking his mustache. "To avoid any suspicion, we'll report Picky as missing. If the police decide to interrogate us anyway, we act completely normal. And - WILL YOU STOP BAWLING FOR ONCE?!" Double-chin jiggling, his father glared down at his son's still-sobbing form with a look of utter disgust. "Listen, BOY, if anyone asks around with some questions, you shut up and tell them NOTHING. Got that?_

Pokey shivered.

It was all Picky's fault. Stupid Picky, who never stood up for him when his parents got abusive. Stupid Picky, who would only stop by his room at the dead of night to whisper his _are you okay'_s and _I'm sorry'_s. Stupid Picky, who had nosed around in something that wasn't even his own business, only to find himself taken by the dark clutches of Giygas. Picky was the one who went missing, but _Pokey_ had to pay the price for his disappearance.

_I __hate him so much._

Feeling like he was going to explode, Pokey clenched his head with ragged fingers.

Stupid Picky always made everything ten times worse-

But Picky was only missing...because of _him._ Pokey failed to deliver what Giygas had wanted, had failed to realize that he was being _manipulated_. So really, it was...

Shut up.

_...all my..._

SHUT UP.

_...fault._

SHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUP-

A sharp, crisp knock interrupted his thoughts.

Pokey stayed put, screwing his eyes shut. It was probably one of those drunk poker buddies asking if his father was home. They came in at odd times, swaggering in and out whenever they pleased. Perhaps they did serve as a nice distraction, but Pokey had no desire to let them in. They were loud, raucous, and disgustingly smelly.

But again, if he didn't, his parents would probably find out, and the truth would bite him back _hard_ in the ass.

Reluctantly, Pokey waddled over, wrenching the door open with a vicious yank. "My dad's not here! Go screw around with someone else-"

"Pokey!"

Soft hands lightly wrapped around his waist, and Pokey blindly lurched back, terrified at the sudden assault. Instantly, his side flared up with pain, and Pokey hissed, recoiling in pain. "What the-?"

His shock quickly dissolved into disgust. "Blech!" Pokey yelled, swatting his brother off. "What are you _doing?!"_

"Hugging you."

Pokey's eyes widened in realization. "You are sooo _busted_," he hissed, nabbing a yelping Picky by the ear and proceeding to drag his squirming younger brother back into the house. "Just wait 'til mom and dad hear about this! How did you even find your way home?! HUH?! I bet you broke some more rules along the way-"

"Mister Duster drove me here!"

"Mister...who?!" Pokey scoffed, clearly disbelieving. "Who even names their kid _DUSTER_?! Some cleaning company?"

"I-I don't know!" Picky protested, pointing outside. "But I'm not bluffing; he's right there!"

Pokey swiveled around. There was no one in sight.

Embarrassed that he had been duped so easily, Pokey whipped around in utter fury. "STUFF IT, YOU-"

There was a polite cough next to him, and Pokey instantly whirled around to face a rather tall, thin, scraggly man leaning against the brick wall. "Pleased to meet you," said he. "My name is Duster."

Pokey dumbly froze, his jaw agape.

"By the way, that was a great comeback about my name," Duster said pleasantly. His voice was devoid of any rebuke; in fact, if the brothers weren't mistaken, the man's brown eyes twinkled with amusement. "Probably the most creative one I've heard by far."

Pokey still stood slack-jawed.

Duster cleared his throat. "My father is Chief Wess."

That seemed to knock Pokey out of his stupor. All the color drained out of his features.

"YOU TOLD THE POLICE?! What did you do THAT for?!" Pokey shouted in horror, yanking his brother up by the collar.

Picky pulled at his arm. "Pokey, it's okay!" he said earnestly. "He's helping us find Ness-"

There was a thump as Pokey dropped him onto the ground. "What?" Pokey whispered, eyes darting back over to Duster. In the blink of an eye, Pokey had shoved his features into Duster's face. "DID YOU REALLY FIND HIM?!"

"No, we haven't. We think Giygas is involved." Duster steadily met the teen's panicked gaze. "We wanted to ask you a few questions."

In the snap of a finger, Pokey's face fell. His blue eyes hardened into twin orbs of ice. "Get out."

"We'd appreciate your help, Pokey," Duster continued calmly, preventing him from shutting the door. "If you can provide any information about Giygas, it might help us bring him down-"

Pokey threw back his head and laughed. Extreme bitterness seeped into his voice. "Bring him down? With what? You can't bring him down. I thought he was just a _really_ bad math teacher, but he's much more than that._"_

"What do you mean?"

"Like I'd tell _you,"_ Pokey sneered. "Forget about it. You're no match against him; I've seen the things he can do. He can mess with your mind. He knows your deepest fears, your deepest desires, _everything."_ A pause. "He makes you feel things you've never even realized..."

Unfathomable blue eyes briefly flickered over to his younger brother.

Pokey's gaze hardened. "Look, _Duster, _I''ll only say this just because you brought Picky back: STAY OUT OF GIYGAS'S BUSINESS. You can't defeat him. No one can." Pokey eyed Duster's worn out clothes in disgust. "He won't give up. If you haven't noticed, he's a man with a _purpose,_ something a _hobo_ like you wouldn't understand."

"A purpose?"

"Yeah, a sick one too. I know a nasty plot when I see one, and I'm not having any part in it," Pokey sneered, his lips twisting into an unpleasant grimace. "For all I care, Giygas can go on and raise the dead with his _hocus pocus_-"

Immediately, Pokey paled, clamping his mouth shut.

In response, all the color drained from Duster's face. "Hang on. Giygas wants to RAISE THE DEAD?"

"I-I don't know!" Pokey stammered, struggling to wrench his wrist away. "I overheard him talking about it with somebody, okay?"

"Who was he talking to?"

Pokey shook his head.

Duster grasped his shoulders. "Pokey, this is important!" he burst out, eyes blazing with uncharacteristic sternness. "Who was Giygas talking to?"

"I don't know!"

"You must've seen his face!"

"Don't touch me!" Pokey snapped, twisting his arm out of Duster's grip. The bigger boy quivered from fear, but he looked up with bared teeth. "Like I said, I DON'T know and I DON'T care! Leave me out of all this...this _freakishness!_ Eavesdropping got me into all this mess, and you're not dragging me into one again! I don't care that you need help, and I don't care that you need information, SO DO ME A FAVOR AND _FUCK_ _OFF_!"

Duster fell silent, releasing his wrist. For a moment, Pokey stood petrified, wondering what the older man was up to, and immediately flinched when Duster leaned in with amazing speed-

"How can you be so selfish?"

_"SELFISH?! Me?"_ Pokey laughed, a bitter sound that rang in their ears. "Hah! Speak for yourself, _OLD MAN._ I've never gotten anything I've wanted in my life. Nothing good ever comes my way, and the world obviously hates me, so why do I have to step in to save it?"

"YOU ARE BLINDED." Pokey flinched as hot anger shook Duster's words. Brown eyes seared with blazing fire. "You are blinded, Pokey, BLINDED by your very own jealousy! Open your eyes. Open your ears. Think about the pain _you've_ inflicted on other people. To your brother. To _Lucas."_ Duster's voice dropped by ten degrees. "Listen to your _CONSCIENCE._ Ask yourself: Has bullying done you any good? You're making everyone feel terrible about themselves just so _you_ can gain some satisfaction-"

"SHUT UP! JUST SHUT UP!" Gritting his teeth, Pokey clamped his hands over his ears. "Don't talk like you know any better; you don't know _anything_ about me!"

"Maybe you're right. I _don't _know anything about you; I _don't_ know the kinds of problems you face every day." Duster lowered his voice. "But if I've learned anything from my own experience, self-pity won't take you very far. Pokey, you're still young enough to change. Please, don't do this to yourself."

"Why are you trying to make me feel remorse? No one's ever shown _me_ an ounce of _remorse _in my entire life!" Pokey fired up, balling up his fists. He narrowed his eyes to dangerous slits. "...I get it. You're trying to paint me as the bad guy, aren't you? Pokey is a big fat jerk. Pokey is a mean dumbass. It's always Pokey this, Pokey that, and I'm sick and tired of always being the villain! Well, this time, I'm not taking this shit anymore. You want to hear the truth?! I don't regret anything I've done. I DON'T REGRET ANYTHING I'VE DONE, AND YOU CAN'T MAKE ME FEEL REMORSE! And if _you_ think my life's been easy, why don't _you_ try living with parents like mine for a change-"

"You have no empathy." Duster stepped forward. "You are withdrawing information that might save lives, Pokey, _LIVES."_ Duster's tone resounded with quiet disapproval. His brown eyes reflected his immense disappointment that burned worse than the scars on Pokey's back. "You didn't mean to work for Giygas, but the truth stands: you were _involved_. And because of you, many innocent people might get injured, or worse_, __killed._ Is this what you really want?" Duster set his unreadable expression onto his. Sienna orbs roiled with deep solemnity. "Are you really willing to put the lives of your friends at risk for the sake of a petty grudge?"

"Don't threaten me. I owe _none_ of them anything. Especially not those twins." Pokey bristled. "They're not my friends. They only saved my brother from the facility because they _liked_ him. If I were in trouble, nobody would've given a rat's fart about saving _my_ ass-"

"Paula said otherwise."

"Really?" Pokey shot him an unpleasant sneer. "Well, I'm flattered. _What_ did she say?"

"That Ness would've done the same for you."

Pokey fell silent.

Realizing that the teen couldn't be persuaded, Duster shook his head and quietly stepped onto the pavement. "Well, it was nice meeting you, Pokey. I wish you and your brother the best of luck."

The weary musician sauntered down the dark street, soon disappearing out of sight. Darkness swallowed up any trace of his existence, and frozen by the doorway, Pokey stared at the retreating figure even long after the mysterious man had gone.

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~oO0Oo~

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It is a universally-accepted fact that all best friends are a rather oddly-behaving species by nature.

To this, Tony was no exception.

Too many times, Jeff Andonuts had wondered what exactly made his friend's mind tick. And too many times, he ended up astoundingly empty-handed. Tony's quirky behavior somehow defied the very laws of physics from the tip of his pointy, brown shoes to the very top of his emerald bowler hat.

The engine sputtered, and with a sigh, Jeff unscrewed the hood of the solar car. Lifting the delicate metal like a person would hold a lover, Jeff set it onto the floor with remarkable gentleness and peered into the complicated collection of nuts and bolts.

But even after witnessing Ninten's dramatic flairs, Jeff was quite sure Tony would outstrip in the title of "Drama Queen."

Take, for instance, the time in sixth grade when Tony had wailed like a dying cow after Ness insulted Valentine's Day. Or in eighth grade, when Tony had collapsed to his knees in dramatic sobbing fit, all because he had forgotten his pencil. In the middle of _Physics _too, no less. Jeff's ears burned, remembering the uncertain look his father had shot him, as if asking, _Is he really your best friend?_

_He's not my best friend! _Jeff had snapped, because (1) Tony was just a classmate, (2) Tony was a weirdo who defied the laws of physics, and (3) _WHAT THE FLIPPIN' HECK__-_

Most fortunately, his father had been wise enough to drop the topic. So for the longest time, Tony was just that one weird, yet popular friend everyone liked in middle school. Twice a week, Jeff tutored him in physics, and they exchanged phone numbers to set up regular study sessions.

Not six months ago, everything changed.

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~oO0Oo~

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It had been a lazy summer night in August when Jeff Andonuts got an important phone call.

Stripping off his Latex gloves onto the lab bench, Jeff grimaced, fumbling for the source of the unwelcome interruption. Already disgruntled, he was sorely tempted to dump the phone into his vat of hydrochloric acid, but upon catching sight of the caller ID, he frowned.

So like any _reasonable_ person would do in such a circumstance, Jeff had snatched up the phone, pressed the _Call _button, then inquired, "...Hello?"

What he had _not_ expected was the ear-splitting scream that killed his ears.

"ANDONUTS, ANSWER THE PHONE!"

"OW!" Panicking, Jeff fumbled with his phone. "_Tony?_ Is that you?"

Awkward silence.

"Uhh, nope...?! Haha. Ha. Wrong number!"

Maybe his ears were still ringing from the rude wake-up call, but Jeff frowned, noting an unusual quaver in his friend's voice. "Is everything all right?"

"No. I mean, yeah! Everything's fine! Wait, no! Yes, I'm okay!" A pause, then a shaky breath. "Sorry, it's just...I wanted...I mean, I needed to talk...to you."

"...About physics?"

"No. About...something else."

Jeff was not easily frightened, but Tony's subdued tone was alarming to say the least. "...Yeah?" Jeff asked quietly, adjusting his glasses. "What's up?"

"Well...I have this problem..."

"..."

"..."

"Um, so..." Jeff cleared his throat awkwardly. "What's the problem?"

"Huh? Oh. It's, uh-" Tony began to ramble so quickly that Jeff had a problem of trying to keep up. "I LIKE BAKING, which is weird, because I hate cooking, andIwaskindawonderingifyouwereallergictochocolate."

Jeff blinked. "I'm not allergic to anything," he said patiently. "But that's not the real reason you called, is it?"

Another uncomfortable pause. The silence stretched for so long that Jeff thought that the line was dead. Then the phone burst alive, crackling with the sound of a strangled sob. "Jeff..."

"Hm?"

"I-I'm..."

"Yeah...?

"...I'm gay."

Jeff dumped the phone in hydrochloric acid.

It was on accident though, and once he managed to fumble for his house phone, Jeff had called him back. Somehow against all odds, the two had managed to regain some semblance of sane conversation - or at least, as sane as a conversation _could_ get at two in the morning.

It was an understatement that Jeff felt apprehensive; the blond genius was simply _awful_ at providing emotional support, but Tony sounded so distressed that Jeff did his best, patiently trying to listen to a fully freaked-out brunette ramble incoherently over the phone. They were quite insignificant worries too, like _Oh gods, what if people think I'm disgusting_ and _What would my mom think _and _Do you think I'm disgusting too_-

And Jeff had patiently replied, rolling his eyes at his silly questions. _No, Tony, people won't think you're disgusting just because you're gay, your mom's a conservative bitch _(okay, he didn't say that out loud, but she was)_, and I couldn't care less if you were biologically attracted to a hippo._

To his immense surprise, the cheery brunette chatterbox had fallen silent.

Finally, Tony spoke. And Jeff could never forget his friend's hoarse reply.

"Thanks, Jeff. I knew I could always count on you."

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~oO0Oo~

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Eventually, Tony's mom ended up finding out about her son's sexual orientation.

Needless to say, she didn't take the news too well.

So in mid-September, when the disowned brunette had showed up at Jeff's doorstep a crying mess, Jeff had merely straightened his back, adjusted his glasses, and asked, "Do you prefer the top bunk, or the bottom?"

Jeff never regretted his decision. Incredibly, in the last two months they had roomed together, both boys had immediately _clicked_: Whenever Jeff had time, he would sometimes aid a hand in baking ("It's not BAKING, it's CHEMISTRY. Allow me to explain; extreme heat denatures the casein in eggs and blah blah blah..."), and every time Jeff worked on the Solar Car, Tony would bombard him with all sorts of curious questions ("OOH! What does THAT thingamajig do? Wait, no, how about THAT one?! Hey, I wonder what happens if I twist this red lever down-" "OH GOD, TONY, NO!"). Even while living with his cousin Lloyd, being the only child of a busy father was rather lonely, and Jeff was glad for the welcome change.

And a highly welcome change it was too. Especially now, since the school had been burnt down by some crazy, unknown arsonist, Jeff was sorely grateful Tony was here. It had already been bad enough that Ness, Poo, and Paula had all gone missing, but if Tony had disappeared too...

Jeff involuntarily shivered.

Something was up. Something big, and Jeff was _sure_ of it, but with Claus's mysterious absence as well, he and his cousin, Lloyd, had been regretfully over-working themselves to meet the Solar Car deadlines.

Today just happened to be one of those days. In the dim light of the pristine garage, he could spot Lloyd's poofy, white locks floating up and down in agitation.

"Have you found it yet?"

"No! I STILL haven't found the sensor!" The albino teen looked completely devastated. "I can't believe someone _stole_ it...I really miss my mini tool-kit..."

"Mini tool-kit?" Tony inquired, casually sauntering in. "Is this some innuendo I don't understand?"

"No _innuendo _at all, my friend," Jeff answered, bluntly quoting the word with his fingers. He frowned, fiddling with the frame of the Solar Car. "Lloyd lost his tool kit around a week ago. We last tracked it down to the base of Holy Loly Mountain."

Bewildered, Tony blinked. "Why would it be _there_?"

"We don't know."

"...It was a gift from my mom too," Lloyd broke in quietly. "Or at least, it's the last thing I have left of her."

"Bummer." Tony shook his head sympathetically. "Don't worry, Lloyd. I bet it'll show up soon."

"I hope so."

Jeff shook his head in a frown. "I just don't get it, Lloyd. Why did we get a signal from _Holy Loly Mountain?_ Maybe your sensor's a dud-"

"It's not a dud!"

"Are you sure that the thief didn't steal the tool-kit _and_ the sensor?"

"No, he couldn't have stolen both at the same time. The tool kit's already been missing for a while. The sensor was stolen _yesterday_." Lloyd shifted uncomfortably, rolling one of the tires under his fingers. It wobbled, creaking under his ministrations. "Call me strange, but I have a feeling that the tool kit's in good hands..."

Jeff rolled his eyes. "You have a _feeling?"_

Lloyd flushed. "Call it otherwise," he defended. "But I can't explain it. I think someone might've borrowed it for the time being, but I just can't remember _who_ I might've given it to..."

"...You have...a feeling."

"Shut up, Jeff," Tony said casually.

Jeff huffed, glaring at him through tinted glasses. "Don't you see how _unscientific_ that sounds? You can't just pinpoint something on a _feeling!_ That's like trying to live life based on _intangibles!_ Think about it; have you heard of _any_ scientist who based their findings on a feeling? An _intuition,_ possibly, but mere sentiment...!"

"Sometimes, life isn't always about the facts," Lloyd said wisely.

"Heck yeah, Lloyd! You tell him!" Tony crowed, ruffling Lloyd's hair and knocking his glasses askew. He directed Jeff a pointed glare. "You, sir, are a disgrace. Just because _you_ have the emotional range of a toothpick doesn't mean you have to pick on your absolutely _amazing_ cousin. God, what a _bully."_

"Tony?" Lloyd laughed awkwardly, blindly dropping to the floor. "I think you knocked my glasses off."

"I did? My bad. Should I...?"

"Haha, no, I've got it."

As Lloyd made a mad scramble for his glasses, Jeff shook his head in disapproval. "Tony, you're pampering him. In the real scientific world, you need to learn how to stand up for yourself, or else, no one's gonna believe you."

Tony sighed in mock-disappointment. "Oh, Jeff. Jeff, Jeff, Jeff._" _Tony crossed his arms and shook his head. _"Jeff-"_

"WHAT?!" Jeff blurted out, fixing him with an exasperated glare. "My hearing is perfectly _functional,_ thank you very much!"

Tony chortled, smugly setting his hands on his hips. "Aren't you a bundle of sunshine today?"

Popping up from the floor, Lloyd couldn't help the grin that slid across his face. "Doesn't this feel...familiar?"

Puzzled, Jeff tilted his head. "How so?"

Lloyd laughed. "Well, for starters, you start grilling me with demoralizing speech..."

A smile twitched from the corner of Jeff's mouth. "Right, then Claus would get all fired-up because we were getting all distracted-"

"-and _then_ he'd fire some winning one-liner to pop Jeff's big-headed ego," Tony chimed, randomly waving a spoon into the air.

Lloyd burst into a choke of laughter, and Jeff flushed a bright crimson.

"IT'S CALLED SELF-CONFIDENCE, NOT BIG-HEADED EGO. And give me that!" Jeff added, swiping the spoon away form Tony's grip. Visibly sulking, the blond turned away, grumbling phrases like _Big ego, my ass _and _I'm not big-headed_.

"I guess once a big brother, always a big brother," Tony mused wisely. "Lucas is probably the most harmless guy I know in our grade...well, I mean, except for Lloyd, I suppose. Maybe that's why Claus gets all snarky with you whenever you tease the crap out of Lloyd."

Jeff shook his head, frowning at the use of the crude colloquial phrase. "That is an unlikely theory," he said grumpily, jabbing the spoon in his direction. "I don't tease _the crap _out of Lloyd."

Slowly, Lloyd's laughter petered off. The timid genius fixed his wistful eyes onto the solar car. "I miss him. Them." A sad tone crept into his voice. "Sometimes around five, Ninten and Ness would crash to order pizza, remember?"

"Yeah, and Claus would tell them both to buzz off." Tony laughed. "It was always so funny, because whenever Lucas stopped by, Claus would turn into such a huge softie. And Poo...Poo was _amazing._ He was always able to find anything we lost in this dump. I can't believe he was able to find your computer chip crammed in the back cabinet!"

"He's an incredible friend. They all are." Jeff sighed, looking rather drained. "It's strange. It's only been a week, but..."

"...it feels like they've been missing for eons," Lloyd finished quietly.

The silence was almost suffocating. In a feeble attempt to lighten the mood, Tony dove his fingers into his pocket and snatched out his iphone. "While we're talking about good old times," he said, teasingly dangling the phone around. "Who's up for some..." Tony flexed his biceps, squatting down to strike a glamorous pose so glorious that even Johnny Bravo would've burst into tears at its sheer glory. "..._MACH_ _pizza?" _

There was an awkward silence. Then...

"Lloyd, you can throw the glitter now."

"Oh. OH!"

Lloyd emptied the can. With a dazzling FWOOOSH of gold, the glitter cascaded down, surrounding Tony in a stylish shower of epic anime sparkles. Without breaking pose, Tony dreamily smiled, closing his dazzling anime-esque eyes. "Oh, yes. Baby, now _that's_ what I'm talking about."

"How do you even-nevermind." Jeff caved into a snort of laughter. "I suppose a large Mach Pizza sounds rather nice." Almost immediately, however, he threw Tony a sharp look. "But don't pay for it with your savings."

Tony frowned, finger hovering over the call button. "But-"

"I knew you paid last time. I keep track of my bills."

Caught red-handed, Tony flushed a deep crimson. "It's not right. I'm lodging with you for _free,"_ he protested, clenching his fists. "I've got a job, Jeff! I should really pay for _something-"_

"Can you stop being so chivalrous and think _logically_ for once?" Jeff said, exasperated. "Use my credit card. Lloyd's been living with me FOR FREE, and you don't hear HIM complaining about paying."

In a flurry of nerves, Lloyd dropped his screwdriver. "Is cost really a problem?" he said worriedly, sounding awfully guilty. "Jeff, I think I have some savings I can spare-"

"OH, DEAR EINSTEIN, NO!" In a rare act of breaking his composure, Jeff face-palmed. "This is ridiculous," he said, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Listen, Lloyd, you're my _cousin,_ and Tony, you're my special guest. For crying out loud, my dad's a renowned scientist. WE CAN AFFORD IT. Nobody should feel guilt-tripped over worthless green paper, and the next time anyone even mentions the word _money,_ I'll build you a damn money-machine for your birthday! Am I clear?!"

Still silence followed his rant. Instantly, Tony's blush darkened, creeping down his neck. "I'm...I'm _your_ special guest?"

"Yes. You are."

"Oh. wow. I mean, gosh. Thanks, Jeff. That's, uh...wow." Tony flustered, straightening the bowler hat on his head. As if on cue, the hat chose that very moment to fall to the ground in a rather comical _splat._ With trembling fingers, Tony scooped it back onto his forehead, only to drop it again between his fingers.

"Tony..." Exasperated, Jeff leaped to his feet, briskly striding over. "Here, let me get that for you."

"N-No, it's f-fine!" Tony sputtered. He scrambled onto his knees, frantically reaching for his hat-

Until Jeff's fingers brushed against his palm.

"ACK!"

Eyes widening to the size of saucers, Tony squeaked, instantly jerking back in surprise. Clumsily, he skedaddled backwards, tripping over a stray screwdriver. In a painful clatter of metal, Tony slammed into the neglected pile of tools.

Feeling like his face was burning like a furnace, Tony sputtered, entangling himself from the copper wires coiling into his jacket. Mortified, he made a move to stand, only to freeze when a _very_ familiar hand fell into his line of sight.

"Are you all right?" Blue eyes barely suppressing his own mirth, Jeff shook his head in amusement. "You took quite a fall."

"I'm f-fine!" Tony squeaked. As if things couldn't get worse, his voice chose that perfect moment to crack_._

Oh dear lord did Tony wish he could die right there on the spot.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of," Jeff reassured, noting Tony's embarrassment.

"...Huh?" Tony stared back, almost drowning in horrified realization. _HE KNOWS? OH GOD, DOES HE ACTUALLY KNOW THAT I L-_

"Your larynx expands during puberty."

Tony blankly stared back at him in incomprehension.

Jeff cleared his throat. "Your voice cracked...?"

"Oh. OH!" Banishing his thoughts, Tony gave an awkwardly loud laugh. "It did! AND I DIDN'T EVEN NOTICE! HOW WEIRD OF ME. HA. HAHAHA. Ha."

Jeff cocked an eyebrow. "Did the fall impair your mental capacity?" he asked in concern, reaching out to touch Tony's temples. "Lie still. I can measure your brain waves with my-"

"NO! I, I-I mean, yes, I'm fine." Feeling like he was suffocating from awkwardness, Tony ignored the offered hand and wrenched himself onto his feet. "Well then, if you'll _excuuuuuuse_ me, I'll be off to buy that pizza."

"With my credit card," Jeff added firmly.

Tony laughed nervously. "Riiiiiiiiiight. With YOUR credit card. Not mine. Yours. That is, the credit card that's totally not mine."

Jeff started to give him another weird look, and dying again from sheer mortification, Tony almost _SPRINTED_ out of the garage as if Jeff were a carnivorous T-Rex. "FAREWELL, FRIENDS."

As Tony disappeared, the blond genius frowned, staring after his friend's flustered form. "I sincerely hope that the fall didn't incapacitate him."

Lloyd looked up curiously. "He looks fine. Physiologically speaking."

"...Physiologically speaking?"

Turning away from his baffled cousin, Lloyd hid a knowing smile. "Physiologically speaking."

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~oO0Oo~

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Physiologically speaking, Tony's phenylethylamine had triggered a major influx of adrenaline, dopamine and serotonin into his nervous system.

In short, Tony was absolutely, irrevocably, and undeniably stuck in Cloud Nine. A goofy, love-struck smile spread across his face, and he hugged himself, internally fan-boy screaming all the while.

"He said that I was _his_ special guest...and...and then_...he_ _touched my hand_...! AHHHH!" Controlling his frazzled nerves, Tony slapped himself silly. "CONTROL YOURSELF, BOI. WHY U GET ALL FLUSTERED OVER SOMETHING SO SILLY? Bad Tony. _Very_ bad Tony. Jeff was only trying to help me up like a REAL FRIEND would do. Nothing lovey-dovey, nope nope."

Breathing in deeply, Tony took a determined nod, then grimly pounded a fist to his chest. "Well, that gives me more reason to be his bestest friend in the world, right? I can tell he's stuck in a pretty deep down after losing his friends..." A pause. "Jeff's helped me out of a rough spot. That means I should be there for him whenever he needs it. Like right now."

Another pause.

A sly smile curled up his lips. "But I'm still payin' for that pizza."

Whipping out his cell, Tony was just about to dial the appropriate number when he realized that he had forgotten something VERY important. Drawing in a dramatic gasp of horror, Tony hastily cupped his hands into a loud scream of despair. "_JEFF_!"

"YEAH?!" Said boy yelled back as if they were separated by an entire football stadium.

"WHAT TOPPINGS DO YOU WANT?!"

"WHAT DO THEY HAVE?"

"UUUUUH, LET ME CHECK!" Tony checked his phone, scrolling down to the popular choices. "DO YOU WANT MEATLOVER'S OR CHEEEEESE?!"

"ORDER BOTH!"

"BOTH?! WHYYYYY?"

"LLOYD'S VEGETARIAN!"

"OH, RIGHT! THAAAANKS!"

"SURE THING!" A pause. "WHY ARE WE SHOUTING?!"

"I DUNNO!"

Tony could almost feel Jeff's invisible eye-roll even from the kitchen. "Well, don't forget to use my credit card!"

"Okay! I'll try not to not forget!"

Jeff wasn't fooled. "Tony, that means you'll FORGET!"

"Really?!" Tony asked in feigned surprise. "OH GOSH, I TOTALLY DID NOT REALIZE! HOW SILLY OF ME. Well then, I'll try not to not not not not not not not forget!"

"That was _eight_ not's!"

"Fine! Not! That's nine!" Tony added. "Not," he whispered under his breath, secretly counting the negatives to ten.

In the most professional manner he could muster, Tony expertly dialed the number to place their order. Satisfied with his accomplishment, Tony skipped away, humming a merry tune to himself. But just as he set foot in the foyer, the doorbell rang with a cool, mechanical voice:

**"E EQUALS MC SQUARED."**

Tony blinked in surprise. "Wow. That was fast."

...But something didn't quite add up. Tony narrowed his eyes at the door, studying it with peaking suspicion. In fact, as he sidled closer to it, he jumped when wild, raucous shouting bombarded his ears. The door bell rang three more times in rapid succession.

**"E EQUALS - E EQUALS - E EQUALS MC SQUARED."**

Tony scowled. Teens these days were so _uncultured._ Honestly, would it seriously kill someone to use some proper manners every now and then?

But as even as he waited, those yells suspiciously formed into a coherent words. Hesitating, Tony rested his ear against the door and strained his ears. Second by second, the cries resounded clearer and clearer...

"JEFF! Please, Jeff! Open the door! Jeff!"

Tony's eyes widened in shock. "Who's there?!"

Rather abruptly, the voices stopped at once, stagnating the air with an eerie silence. Clearly disturbed by the unusual change in volume, Tony gulped down his fear, waiting for whoever it was to respond.

Next moment found Tony dropping to his knees, utterly overwhelmed by the loud mental screaming that clashed against ears like thunderous symbols. Eyes watering in pain, he gasped, struggling to adjust to the discord, which was quickly washed away by a worried voice.

"Jeff...please...do you...ear me...aula...Please, save us!"

Tony's eyes dawned with recognition. "That voice-"

"What's going on, Tony?"

Tony snapped his head up at the sharp question. With his emerald overcoat crinkled and disheveled, Jeff looked wide-eyed, obviously caught off-guard by the sudden telepathic assault. His glasses had been knocked askew in his mad dash; likewise, the mental plea must have caught his attention too.

"I-I don't know," Tony panicked. "Someone's at the door for you."

Jeff's blue eyes flashed in sudden realization. "Paula."

"What?!"

In an instant, Jeff was striding across the foyer, clumsily scrambling for the lock. In a heartbeat, he wrenched it open, revealing a motley crew of people.

"JEFF!"

With a happy cry, Paula dashed over to swing Jeff into a hug. Tony blinked, overwhelmed by the sudden influx of people.

"Wow, this is one _BIG_ house," Kumatora said, strolling into the capacious mansion with a look of appreciation. The room was so large that even with the new arrivals, its massive emptiness threatened to engulf them.

"It's very neat too," Ana added, staring at the mathematical formulas tattooed on the wall. Next to the fireplace hung faded newpaper clippings, fluttering like last year's confetti. A rather fresh page was plastered on the very right: _DISCOVERY OF GRAVITY WAVES CONFIRMED!_

Jeff coughed, looking rather embarrassed. "My dad's at the lab across the street. The only people here are me, Tony, and Lloyd."

Ana's face brightened. "Lloyd's awake too?!"

"Indeed, he is."

Looking rather flustered, Poo and Duster awkwardly sidled in. "We apologize for inconveniencing you at such an unseemly time," Poo started, but he was quickly cut off when Jeff clasped his digits in a firm handshake. Intelligent blue eyes brightened in relief.

"Poo. I'm glad to see that you're alive and well."

Poo blinked, taken aback by the warm reception. He smiled, teeth glinting in the light. "Jeff. The pleasure is all mine."

"Don't get me wrong, guys. It's nice to have you all back," Tony began, and everyone turned to stare at the incredibly confused brunette. "But at the risk of sounding terribly rude..." He wildly jabbed a hand into their faces. "WHAT THE HEY IS GOING ON?! AND WHO ARE YOUUUUUU?!"

Tony pointed his finger straight at Duster.

"Hey, show some respect, Big T," Kumatora said, jabbing her thumb at Duster. "THAT'S the son of the Police Chief you're pointing at."

With a gasp, Tony turned to face Duster so quickly that the older man was left almost breathless in shock. "OH. EM. GEE. I am so _terribly_ sorry!" Tony exclaimed, bowing several times in mortification. "Please forgive my rudeness, sir."

Duster chuckled sheepishly. "You know Kumatora?"

"I was going to say," Jeff inquired with a frown.

Sharing a smug look with Kumatora, Tony nodded mysteriously, exaggerating his hands into a sophisticated bow. "I have my connections. M'lady and I go quite _far back_ in history."

"Tell me about it," Kumatora smirked.

"...I see." For some reason, Jeff's frown didn't ease, but before he could say anything else, a welcome interruption came in the hasty form of their last arrival.

"Guys, _GUYS!"_

"About time you came," Tony said, turning around to address him in a teasing tone. "Lloyd, you just missed all the celebratory fanfare..."

His voice died in his throat.

Lloyd wore a startling wide-eyed look of shock, his tremulous fingers tapping the wall in impatient agitation. In an agonizingly slow motion, the albino tremulously lifted his eyes. Slowly but surely, five shivering words dropped out of his lips.

"Claus has my tool kit."

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~oO0Oo~

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In an instant, Jeff froze in rigid shock. "Claus has your tool kit?!"

"I KNOW! This changes EVERYTHING!" Lloyd paced back and forth in unrestrained excitement. "If I can just isolate the perfect frequency, then I'd be able to locate my toolbox. WHICH MEANS WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO FIND CLAUS."

"WHAT?!" Kumatora leaped to her feet, energized by the breakthrough. "HOLY SHIT! HOW?!"

Lloyd turned pink. "I place tracking devices on all of my belongings," he said quietly, shifting his feet in embarrassment. "People used to steal my stuff, so I wanted to know where they went."

Ana turned to him sympathetically. "That's no fun."

"Don't worry about it. Really!" Lloyd countered earnestly. "Nowadays, it's more a force of habit. I think I've started taking them off of my pencils last month-"

"YOU PUT TRACKING DEVICES ON YOUR _PENCILS_?!" Tony exclaimed in horror.

Lloyd blushed a dark crimson. "For experimental reasons."

"...I will _never_ borrow anything from you again," Tony fervently told him.

Kumatora lightly smacked Tony upside the head. "Stop it; you're embarrassing us!"

"Ow! Lay off it, Kuma," Tony protested, straightening his hat. "I was just kidding."

"In any case, if we find Claus, that means we might be able to find the others as well!" Paula exclaimed, clenching her fists. Fiery determination danced in her eyes. "Lloyd, you're brilliant!"

If possible, Lloyd turned a darker shade of crimson. "A-ah, eheh...thanks, guys...but we shouldn't be celebrating just yet..."

"Lloyd is right. We shouldn't set our hopes too high," Poo warned. "There is no guarantee that Claus still has the tool box with him."

Lloyd gulped. "Well...Th-There's that...and...another _tiny_ problem..."

Ana looked worried. "What problem?"

"Someone may or may not have stolen my remote-controlled sensor," Lloyd mumbled under his breath, fiddling with his fingers. "So as of now, I can't track down any of my stolen belongings."

Jeff threw him a look. "You told me people weren't stealing your stuff any more!"

"They aren't!" Lloyd protested, raising his hands. "I was only talking about the sensor!"

"How did they steal it?" Paula asked, worried.

"Well..." Lloyd rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Yesterday, I was walking back home from school when some random teen jumped out, demanding money. Naturally, I told him I had no cash on me, but then, the goon pick-pockets me and steals the sensor. I told him to give it back, but he only laughed in my face and ran off. I think he said something about selling it on EEK-bay for an exorbitant amount of money, but so far, I've found nothing."

Kumatora groaned, dragging a palm down her face. "_Of course_. Did you get a good look at his face?"

Lloyd hesitated. "Not really. He was masked...but he sounded around my age."

"Hold on." Paula's eyes flared up. "Did you take the route by the Metro?"

Lloyd looked startled. "Yeah, I did."

"If I had to guess, the person who robbed you might've been a Shark."

Lloyd rapidly paled to a stark white. "Oh no, the metro _is_ on their turf! How did I forget that?! AH! I can't believe I-"

"Don't worry, Lloyd. Getting that sensor back shouldn't be a problem. Just leave it to me." Paula grimly cracked her knuckles. "It's about time we paid a call to a certain _friend."_

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~oO0Oo~

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"Paula-girl, you can't be serious."

"I'm as dead serious as a door knob, Frank."

"No. Sorry, kid, but it's a BIG no-no."

"Frank, please-"

"Look, I can't just _stroll_ in and stop my ex-gang from robbing people just because I used t' be the boss. Gangs don't work that way, 'Hon. You bail, you're marked for LIFE."

"Maybe you're right, but the Sharks are different! I can tell! They still look up to you, Mr. Fly," Paula protested. "The first time Ness and I ran into you, I could sense their feelings. They admire you to the point of _idolatry_."

The phone crackled with a snort of disbelief. "Idolatry? I doubt it. Their damn crime rate's been _peaking _since I last left. The Sharks must be under new management-"

"They're only getting rowdier because they want _you_ back," Paula said softly. "From what you've told me, you left without an explanation. As far as they know, you've simply vanished off the face of the planet."

"And that's exactly the way I want it to be." A sharp intake of breath, and Paula could almost see the deep frown on Frank's face. "I was..._ashamed_ of what I've done. I'm not exactly proud of my past, Paula. After Chief Strong indicted Teddy with false marijuana charges and Ninten's folks bailed him out, we decided to leave _that_ history behind us. Naturally, handing in our resignation forms wasn't something we could do. If we 'fessed up, the gang would've hollered bloody murder on the spot."

"Give it a chance. I've been telling you, Frank, for nearly an entire year, but the Sharks really do look up to you. They think you abandoned them because they weren't being good enough at their job."

"...You wanna know somethin' 'bout me, Paula-girl?" A burly hand hit the phone receiver, emitting a sharp crackle into her ear. "I didn't choose the thug life. The thug life chose _me. _My pappi died because of police brutality." Frank gave a bitter bark of laughter. "He tried to steal _one_ apple. Just one. But when them officers arrived on scene, none o' them gave a fuck. Blew his brains out with a gat right on the damn sidewalk."*

Paula closed her mouth, looking horrified. "They _didn't!"_

"Damn right, they did. That changed me, that did. I wasn't no good in schoo' either. I was damn right one of those nasty "trouble kids" from the start. I got in deep with the bad kids then did all kinds of stupid things, ya' hear? Oh yeah, I was a bad kid, and the Sharks liked me. They liked me so bad that they recruited me on the spot. I passed my beat-in...an' I was only twelve."** A pause. "Joinin' the Sharks is the biggest regret o' my life. Don't be like me when yah grow up, ya hear? A lifetime of crime aint worth dyin' for. Keep stayin' the good girl you are."

Paula bit her lip. "Frank...I didn't know...I'm sorry I said-"

"Nah, watchu talkin' about? You helped me, Paula. You and yo' friends. And Teddy." A softer tone. "I scored lucky when I got paired up wi' Teddy in some crank deal.*** We've been inseparable evah since. He's a right cuz, that Teddy is.**** I didn't know he joined the hood earlier than I did, back when the gang was called "bla-bla" or some shit. But point is, Paula, I aint going back. What the Sharks stole is none of my business no more."

"Please, Frank," Paula begged. "I know it's a lot to ask, considering that Teddy helped us find lodging elsewhere, but we _really_ need that sensor. You've got to have heard the news by now. Ness and the others are in danger. Their lives may even be at stake right now...!"

"Aw, Paula-girl. don't be like this. Now you're jus' making me feel guilty."

"That sensor's our only hope..." Paula clutched the phone handle desperately. "If you can't help us, then do you know any way to get it back? Jeff and Lloyd are pretty clever, and with Kumatora, I might be able to infiltrate the base-"

"Nah. Won't work. Beatin' the crap out of them will only make thangs worse." A pause, then a deep sigh. "Okay, easy there, Paula-girl. I don't lie'kit, but I'd rather not let a young lady like you wanderin' the hood, even if you _do_ have those bad-ass magic powers. All right, lemme talk to Teddy about it. See what he thinks about it first. If he gives the go, then we get that sensor back pronto. If not..."

"I understand. Frank, I really appreciate that you're even _considering_ the option," Paula responded, seizing the phone receiver like a life-line. She sniffled, wiping at her eyes. "Thank you. Thank you, Frank. Thank you so much."

"Paula-girl, it's the least I can do to help. Ain't that what friends are fo'?"

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~oO0Oo~

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The heavenly sight stole their breath away.

Darkness enshrouded them in a nightly shower of sparkling stars. Akin to a movie theatre, Jeff's room was both grandiose and majestic. Had there not been the telltale sheen of a glossy, glass roof, they would've been sorely fooled; it felt like there was nothing between their hands and the glittering planets above. Several odd inventions were neatly stacked around the tidy bookshelves: a sleek microscope with 10 colored lenses, a pack of plastic bottle rockets, and a round, luminescent solar clock with figures that glowed with not only the time, but also the date, year, weather, atmospheric pressure, humidity, and geographic location.

"Is _that_ a hologram projector?!" Kumatora asked in disbelief.

Jeff smartly rapped a long magnetic rod, activating the 3D holo-screen. "It makes my presentation look very persuasive."

"As if you weren't already persuasive enough to begin with," Tony slyly added, shooting him a playful wink.

Jeff rolled his eyes, then tapped the screen. It hummed low under his dexterous touch. "From what you've all told me, Lloyd and I were able to create a hypothesis that matched up with our observations. By this point, everyone should know that Giygas is somehow responsible for these catastrophic phenomena. We don't know how, and we don't know why, but he is connected in some way."

Blue eyes scrutinized their forms, flickering in an almost pale, icy-blue light. "Are you all with me so far?"

The audience gave several murmurs of assent, and Jeff jabbed the hologram. The eerie-green light flickered into the shape of the earth.

"The world is ending even as we speak," Jeff said frankly. "You've all witnessed bloody geysers, massive earthquakes, et cetera, et cetera. Moving on."

The hologram shifted into a strange-looking device.

"Aside from filling in as our physics teacher, my father also specializes in the works of time and relativity," Jeff said simply. "He has secretly managed to create a prototype time machine, aptly dubbed _Phase Distorter_. It can not only travel through time, but can also measure the stability of Space-Time continuum. I will not bore you with the quantum physics behind its creation, but the bottom line is this: Recently, we discovered something UNUSUAL."

A deep frown decorating his expression, Jeff jabbed at the hologram. "There was a significant rip in the space-time continuum about 1.4 cm wide. You can say - in ordinary jargon - roughly about the size of an average bee."

"A rip in the space-time continuum?" Ana said, stunned. "How is that even possible?"

"That is where PSI comes in." Jeff turned around. "Poo, is there a PSI that can transverse _time _itself?"

Poo frowned deeply in concentration. "I have never witnessed such a phenomenon," he said slowly. "But I have read of its existence: a rare, but extremely unique type of PK Teleport. It is named 4th Dimension Slip."

"Perfect. Our hypothesis stands." Jeff crossed his arms. "Time travel is a highly unstable method of transportation. For short lengths, say up to a few months, the time-space continuum can accommodate the change and remain quite stable. But say that someone from the distant past - or distant future - has come to the present. That means we're talking YEARS, maybe even DECADES of time travel. The strain is simply too much for the fabric of space to handle, and thus we get a rip in the time-space continuum. I wouldn't be surprised if the formation of black holes has begun to accelerate within the past 24 hours."

Kumatora laughed. "Okay, now you've lost it. This theory is a _crapshoot__."_ She jabbed her finger forward to accentuate her words. _"One,_ WHY did the time traveler travel here to the present? And _two,_ how does GIYGAS fit into this? I understand your whole "there is a disruption in time-space blah blah blah" but you haven't answered any of our major questions."

"Those are excellent points, and we _just_ might be able to answer the first," Lloyd said nervously. "As Jeff said, the Earth is falling into disarray due to forced time travel. According to theory, this time traveler would've most likely arrived from the future or the past, ideally with a mission to save THIS timeline from an apocalypse caused by Giygas."

"Woah. Let me get this straight." Kumatora raised her hands. "So you're telling me that this so-called "time-traveler" arrived here to save this timeline from Giygas's apocalypse, but by coming here he's CAUSING the apocalypse?"

"Yes."

"That makes no sense!"

"Time paradox," Jeff calmly interjected.

"Well...shit." Kumatora ran a hand through her hair. "So...What _can_ we do to stop this apocalypse?"

Jeff and Loid shared an uneasy glance.

"As of now? Absolutely nothing," Lloyd said feebly, wringing his hands in dismay. Perspiration dotted his forehead in rivulets of anxiety. "It's inevitable. The laws of science can't be broken. Manipulated and twisted, yes, but _definitely_ not broken. What we need now is a _miracle-"_

"A miracle that I think can be achieved."

They all turned around to stare at Poo.

"There is a legend in my country. A myth regarding the Seven Needles." Poo trailed off. "I wonder..."

Jeff adjusted his glasses. "The Seven Needles?"

Poo hesitated. "It is a long legend."

Kumatora's eyes flitted over to the Dalaamese prince. "Care to share?"

"...Make yourselves comfortable."

Once they had all settled down, Poo burst into speech. His low, melodious voice smoothly rolled the words off his tongue as the Ancient Legend came to life before their very eyes:

"Many hundred years ago, a magical meteorite collided into Earth from space. It was a curious artifact that housed a wondrous, yet unearthly being: The Dark Dragon."

"The Dark Dragon had the genie's touch; it could grant any wish, no matter how big or how small. Naturally, the human race took advantage this. Of the many people who dared to request an audience, a select few were granted magic powers of their own. These powers were easily passed down the generations as a hereditary trait, and later became the first recorded use of PSI."

"However, as we all know, such power came at a price. We became greedy. Every person wanted the meteorite; every person wanted the Dark Dragon to grant their wishes. Eventually due to human selfishness, crime rose, and the Dark Dragon finally lost its patience.

**"Your minds and souls have been tainted with darkness. A last chance I will give for the Human Race to redeem itself,"** it spoke. **"To the Chosen One, beholder of fate and purest of soul, Pass Down Your Heart, for ****I will grant thee - and only thee - the power to recreate the world. If Life shall not prosper, then out of wicked selfishness shall it fade."**

Alarmed, seven of Dalaam's most powerful warlocks swore an oath. The seven brothers sacrificed their own lives to conjure an Anciente Magick Spelle, which liquefied the meteor into Seven Needles and buried the Dark Dragon deep into the Earth's core. With their lives bound to their duty, they were reborn as Protectors of the Seven Needles, sealing away the Dark Dragon until it could be summoned for proper use. These Seven Protectors were named the Magypsies, and to this very day, the Dark Dragon has patiently waited, seeking an eternal end to its slumber."

There was an impressive pause at the end of the solemn story.

Jeff adjusted his glasses. "So to paraphrase, if the majority of these _Needles_ are pulled by someone of good intent, the world would be resurrected; if the majority of the Needles are pulled by someone of ill intent - a.k.a. greed, selfishness, _et cetera -_ the world would fall to ruin."

"Yes."

"The situation is scarier than I perceived." Jeff shook his head. "Then we can't let Giygas pull the Seven Needles. We need to beat him to it, so that we can stabilize the time-space continuum and save the world."

"Jeff, I would agree on that train of thought...Except that it's no longer _Seven_ Needles," Poo corrected, looking grim. "As of now, only _ONE_ needle stands: the Seventh Needle. Of all others, the Seventh Needle is the most important, because it alone lies directly on the Head of the Dark Dragon."

"Only _ONE_?! Ana looked horrified. "What happened to the other six?"

"That is a story for another time."

"Then we need to find the Seventh Needle before Gigyas does!" Ana said urgently.

"Yes, and no." Poo raised an authoritative hand in a polite manner. "Ana, I believe that Giygas has already found the Seventh Needle."

"HOW ARE YOU SO CALM ABOUT THIS?!" Kumatora exploded, looking absolutely frustrated. "Giygas could pull it any second now!"

"Therein lies the crucial flaw to his plan. Giygas _cannot_ pull it," Poo continued without breaking his calm demeanor. "As the legend states, only the Pure of Heart have the ability to summon the Dark Dragon. It is a riddle. Honest desire stems from the Heart, which refers to a PSI that strongly emphasizes PASSION, or PK Love. As we can surmise, Giygas has been plotting for _years;_ had he already known PK Love, we might probably have not existed today."

"But if Giygas destroyed the world with the Seventh Needle back in the original timeline," Paula began. "That means someone can already use PK Love _at this very moment._"

"We need to warn Ninten and the others. They can't stop Giygas without pulling the Seventh Needle!" Ana added. "And if they don't find this PK Love user soon-"

"But they already have." Shoulders sagging, Poo looked strangely wilted; a haunted exhaustion roiled in his eyes. "Giygas was clearly using us as bait to lure the four of them into the facility. That means that one of them can already use PK Love. If I had to wager a bet, I believe it's one of the twins...maybe even both."

Ana frowned, noting his sudden drop in energy. "Poo, I don't understand," she said slowly. "Earlier in the legend...What did you mean by "passing your heart" down to the Dark Dragon?"

Averting his eyes, Poo didn't respond.

A sense of foreboding washed over her. "So whoever pulls the Final Needle ultimately...dies?" Ana whispered in horror. Her stomach lurched at the idea of one of her classmates ceasing to exist, and it was so unimaginable and _absurd_ that she wanted to collapse onto the floor in despair. The mere thought of sacrifice sounded terribly cruel, even if the world had to be saved.

"No one really knows, Ana," Poo muttered dejectedly. "But Death seems very likely."

A heavy silence suffused the ranks.

Desperately, Lloyd faced their despondent faces. "NO! We can't give up!" He waved his arms frantically. "We've got to find a safer way while we're at it!"

"I suppose you're right," Paula interrupted, rubbing her eyes. "But back to Square One: we can't do _anything_ until we lock onto Claus's coordinates. That means, in case Frank bails, you should find a way to get that sensor back, Lloyd."

"Absolutely!" the albino cried. With a rare burst of determination, Lloyd leaped to his feet. "I'll work on it! EVEN IF THAT MEANS I HAVE TO MISS A MONTH OF SLEEP AND SCHOOL!"

"I'm so glad you have your priorities straight." Kumatora rolled her eyes. "Saving your grades should take a backseat to, uh, I don't know, _Saving the World?!"_

"Well, in that case, I'm skipping school too," Jeff added bluntly.

Everyone stared at him in disbelief.

"But Jeff, your dad-"

"Paula, I've been a straight-A student. I'll can just tell my dad that I'm busy with the Solar car." Jeff shrugged her concerns off, and in place, an almost maniacal gleam entered his eyes. "Besides, even if we _do _find Claus, we need transportation. My dad has a run-down Skyrunner in the shed. It's old, but if I rewire it properly...resuscitate the engine and replace the pumps...it should run just like new."

"Sounds like a plan!" Tony crowed, punching the air. "What can I do to help?!"

With a wide smirk, Kumatora pulled the hyperactive boy back into his seat. "What _YOU_ can do is SIT YO ASS DOWN and STAY OUT OF JEFF'S WAY. Kapeesh?"

Tony pouted, crossing his arms, but didn't contradict her.

But something else had started to bug Ana's mind. "There's still one thing I want to know..." Ana turned around, facing Poo in concern. "Why is Giygas so willing to risk the future of the entire planet? Why does he want to pull the Seventh Needle so _badly_?"

"Pokey knows." At Duster's sudden words, everyone turned around to face him. Slightly unnerved by the sudden attention, Duster softly met their eyes. "He didn't really explain, but I think it's because-"

**"E EQUALS MC SQUARED."**

"...That's the doorbell," Tony said offhandedly.

Jeff frowned. "Is this someone else from your party...?"

"No," Poo answered. "We are all here. Everyone has been well accounted for."

"Maybe it's your dad," Paula suggested.

"Doubtful. My father is staying overnight at the lab. Another one of his colleagues sound highly unlikely. It must be someone I must not kno-"

"HELP!"

Startled by the scream, Jeff rushed forward, everyone on his heel. Charging up his pop gun, Jeff unlocked the deadbolt, wrenching the door open to reveal a shock of blond hair. A bloody, battered body tumbled into Jeff's vision, sprawling into a dead heap on the marble tiles.

"GOOD HEAVENS!" Jeff cried, looking absolutely flabbergasted. "Who in the world...?"

In a blur, a smaller shadow latched onto the fallen body, shaking it desperately with all his might. "NO! No, no, no, no! Wake up! Pokey, p-please wake up-"

This time, it was Paula's turn to jump back, and she did so with a shocked scream. "PICKY?!"

A flurry of confusion punched their minds at the unexpected arrivals.

"What's going on?"

"Oh god, is _that_-"

"H-Help me, please! P-Paula! He's not waking up, do something-"

"Out of the way," Duster said sharply, limping over. In a heartbeat, everyone complied, hastily making way for the older man. Kneeling by the limp boy's side, Duster instantly wasted no time to check for vitals, feeling for Pokey's pulse. It was there: steady, yet growing fainter by the second. "Kuma, can you-"

"On it." With a glow of her hands, Kumatora bathed the bloody cuts in soothing green light. The refreshing aroma of peppermints popped and snapped into the crisp air, and a heartbeat later, the injuries had all but faded into small scars.

Kumatora frowned. "The cuts were deeper than I expected..."

"Is he okay?! Is he hurt?! Pokey-"

"I'm bringing him to the station. Picky, stay here. Don't leave under any circumstance," Duster said in a steely voice. Swiftly sweeping the breathing body into his arms as if Pokey weighed no less than a feather, Duster vanished into the darkness of night.

"B-But...Pokey...he's not...?"

Paula gently tugged at the distressed boy's shirt. "Picky, we need to heal your injuries..."

Picky flinched violently. He hastily backed away, tripping on the metal umbrella stand which tipped over in a loud, resounding clatter.

"PICKY!" Worried to the brim, Paula instantly hurried over. "Here, let me-"

"NO! GO AWAY!" Picky panicked, eyes bulging into the size of saucers. He blindly squirmed against the floor, shrieking and kicking, wildly getting himself more and more entangled in the cluster of umbrellas.

Said boy looked worse for wear. Picky looked _terrible;_ Weak knees buckled, threatening to fail his frail frame. Tears dribbled down his dirt-stained cheeks, and lost for breath, the poor boy doubled over gasping for air. A mottled set of fresh bruises shone on his neck, dots that oddly resembled fingerprints -

"Picky," Paula breathed, eyes widening in crushing realization. "Who did this to you?"

Hugging himself, Picky trembled violently, turning his shaking form away from her view. "N-No one..."

"Was it a classmate? A friend?" Paula already know that those choices were impossible considering the time of day. Cold dread crept up her spine. "...Was it your parents?"

"I said it was no one!"

"If your parents are-"

"NO! It's not them! I never said they did it, THEY DIDN'T-"

"Picky." The change in voice struck him dumb, and alarmed, Picky whipped his face up. With an unreadable expression on his face, Poo quietly stared down at him. "Where does it hurt?"

"I-It doesn't h-hurt...anywhere..." With a strangled cry, Picky buried his face into his knees. "No more...no more q-questions..."

"No more questions," Poo agreed, sitting down and opening his palms. "Look at me. We won't hurt you."

Dead silence.

"Please, Picky," Paula said softly. "Let us heal you. Let us _help_ you."

Picky shifted, throwing her a terribly lost look that clenched at her heartstrings. Watery eyes blinked, shattered with hurt, and a film of shivering tears coated his pale eyes. But ever so slowly, Picky inched forward, keeping his eyes fixated to the ground. After an excruciatingly long time, he hesitated, sliding his hand onto her palm. Gently, so as not to startle him, Paula drew him closer, shielding him in an embrace. At contact, he flinched, trembling in her hold, but remained put, closing his eyes and letting hot tears seep from his lashes in twin rivulets of misery.

"This might feel strange at first, but bear with me," Paula murmured, loosening her hold to whisper the desired incantation. "PK Healing."

The soft perfume of honey floated into the air as the magic did its work, knitting together skin and erasing swollen purple sores. Light, feathery PSI tickled the bruises away, allowing soft, delicate skin to regain its peachy color. Blinking, Picky examined its after-effects, studying the unblemished skin on his arms and legs. He shakily stood up, experimentally kicking his feet for any sensation of pain, then lowered his limbs into a sitting position.

"Thank you," he whispered.

Paula nodded. "Does anything hurt?"

"N-No..."

"Do you feel sick? Feel a light burn?"

"...No."

"Good." Paula slumped over, looking haggard and worn out. "Looks like you don't have the side-effects."

As if struck by lightningt, Picky jumped to his feet. Hysteria once again clouded his eyes. "How about my brother? Will he be okay?"

"Picky..."

"I'm not supposed to be here," he choked, eyes shining brightly from pure terror. "Mom and dad don't know I'm here. Pokey told me we had to r-run...but my mom...she didn't sound too happy and...and...when I left, I could tell that dad was...Pokey...they were...they..." A ragged, almost hysterical sob. "Please! Please you've got to save my brother! I don't know how long he'll last and...and...!"

"Picky, calm down-"

"You don't understand!" he rambled on, clearly unaffected by their reassuring words. "Pokey's gonna hate me...He said not to tell anyone, b-but now I did and Mr. Duster knows a-and what's going to happen to mom and dad? Are they going to jail?" Fear shone in his eyes. "I didn't mean to say anything! It was all a joke, I swear-"

_Help me out here._ Paula helplessly looked up at her friends, but they all looked just as lost for words.

Finally, Tony stirred, gently leaning over to intervene. "Hey there, lil' fella'," he said kindly, lowering his hat into a bow. "It's been a rough night...huh? I know bad things've been going on, but everyone's told me how brave you've been for the past week. And if you ask me, that's _amazing_."

"...It is?"

"It is," Tony said firmly, kneeling to his height. "Picky, I know it's hard...but we need your help. We need you need to be brave. For your brother. Be strong for him, because you know he'd do the same for you. Can you do that for us?"

With a hiccup, Picky rubbed his eyes. "Y-Yeah...," he said hoarsely. "I need to be brave..."

"There we go," Tony said encouragingly. "Atta boy."

With a pained grimace, Picky's face fell. "It hurts," he whispered, clutching at his heart. Wide, innocent-blue eyes looked up into his face. "They didn't hit me, but it still hurts. It hurts a lot. Like my chest is gonna explode. Maybe I should've done something to help...but I didn't. I'm a coward..."

Warm sienna eyes radiating comfort, Tony gently intertwined Picky's tiny fingers within his, smoothly sliding the small palm directly over the the little boy's heart. A steady pulse reverberated under their fingers. "Feel that?"

Picky slowly nodded.

"That sounds to me like a heart of gold. You love your brother. You did your best. I don't think that speaks _coward_ at all_."_

"But I'm still scared." Picky's voice trembled. "Where's my brother? I want...I want my brother..."

Tony felt a lump rise in his throat. "I promise, Picky. You'll see him soon."

Relief clouded Picky's sleepy eyes; the healing process must have exhausted him soundly. "That's good. I don't want him to...t-to...die. Pokey pretends I'm really annoying, but when m-mom's not there, he can be really nice..." Picky paused. His sad gaze seemed to pierce Tony right into his soul. "Is it still wrong...to love my mom? I don't want to believe she's a bad person..."

Tony gulped down his raw emotions. From the corner of his eye, he noticed Jeff eyeing them both in concern, but instead, the brunette ignored the look, opting to let out a shaky laugh. "No, it's not. I still love my mom...even if she can't accept me for who I am. I don't think I could ever stop loving her back."

Picky lowered his eyes. "That's what Pokey said," he mumbled. "The bad man only wanted his mom back."

Restraining a choke of disbelief, Tony rubbed the moisture away from his own eyes. "You mean, _Giygas?"_

"Giygas," Picky agreed, eyes fluttering shut from exhaustion. "He...He said...he wanted his mom back. That she died a long time ago, and that he couldn't save her. He said it hurt a lot. Maybe that's why he's in pain...Because he loved her so much..."

With a sudden sigh, Picky's head drooped onto his chest.

As if someone had cast a spell, the entire hall had fallen eerily silence. No one even dared to breathe_._

...For the cold truth uttered by those childish lips sounded almost too humane to be true.

* * *

><p><strong>~End of Arc III~<strong>

* * *

><p>*gat = Gun<p>

**beat-in = Test to qualify for gang initiation

***crank = Street slang for the drug, Methamphetamine (Stimulant)

****cuz= Fellow hood member

^Wow look at me trying to be cool with a dictionary of street slang because I totally got this from Google

**Author's Note:**

**Heya Guys!**

**Here's the other 14k+ half of Chapter 25 and also the Prologue to Arc IV. The names of the remaining Arcs have been officially confirmed:  
><strong>**-ARC IV: Sacrifice  
><strong>**-ARC V: Aftermath****  
><strong>

**And for convenience, here's a recap of possible future scenes from Chapter 18:**

**(1) Ness is given the kiss of life. Or death. Or whatever.  
><strong>**(2) PK Starstorm. Because reasons.  
><strong>**(3) "Don't struggle! Just endure it for a little bit."  
><strong>**(4) Claus dies.  
><strong>**(5) All of the above.**

**AT LEAST THREE CHARACTERS WILL DIE DURING THESE ARCS. To the bold and overly-ambitious, go right ahead: Feel free to draw your own predictions. I won't stop your devious plotting...but I will neither confirm nor deny your claims. ;)**

**ALSO, CHECK BOTH SIDES OF THE STREET BEFORE YOU CROSS THE ROAD. I'm serious. Last week, I almost got run over by an SUV. I didn't even notice the car barreling towards me until the lady driver was literally _three_ inches away from my nose. Pretty much, the mental exchange went like this:**

**Me: Whelp, pedestrian light's green. Time to go.  
><strong>**Driver Lady: Let me make this totally awesome right turn here *Suddenly sees short girl walking on street* WHAT THE AAAAAAAAACK  
><strong>**Me: *Covers face with arms* OH SHIT  
><strong>**Driver Lady: *Slams the brakes so hard I can almost see my reflection on the fender***

**But don't worry! I'm alive and dandy since I just updated this story (no jk I'm secretly an Osohe ghost with a fanfiction account hurrdurr) **

**Okay, I'll stop derping around. ****So...erm...I guess this is kinda late, but I'm starting to realize that a lot of your reviews tend to contain the words "cry," "sad," or "feels," all of which make me quite concerned. Guys, this is literally the calm before the storm. If you've already been crying, then...ack! I know my writing's not the best, but geez it must be terrible if it's reducing everyone to tears****. DX Gah I can't Engleesh properbly**

**Oh whelp and there go the tissues **

**Responding to your reviews~**

**Angel-Woof:** AAAAAH YOU'RE BACK! Gurl, you would not BELIEVE how many times I had to rub my eyes to read this review. It's like meeting an old friend again. :') During your absence, there was a point last semester when I got worried that something bad might've happened to you, but since you _did_ say you were busy with your classes during your last review, I hoped it was the latter. Words can't explain how happy I am right now. :') Likewise, I hope 2016 is treating you with "awesomeness, omelettes, steak, Oreos, exploding chemicals that turn into edible candy canes and good fortune." ;)

Ack, sorry for the sudden emotional train wreck! I did not mean to go all out with my feelings; I'm just so happy you're okay! XD BUT YES YOU CAUGHT THE FRIEND'S YO-YO REFERENCE! yay *explodes confetti* Pokey's an...interesting character in the sense that his cruel actions can be explained, but unjustified. I hoped I was able to convey that into these chapters. :) And well, hey, I hope your classes are going well. Science majors FTW! :D

**Connor: **Heya, Connor! How are you doing toda-

**"See you next chapter, maybe in a few years? ;)"**

Oh snap.  
>Dat burn. I...I can't even...<p>

That's it. *Lifts pitchfork* Someone's gonna have a **_bad_ **time.

jk, I kid. ;) Yeah, I'm extremely lucky to have understanding followers/favs/reviewers (like you!). One/Two months is really stretching an update, but premed's intense stuff, and sometimes when I get a fav/follow/review in between updates, I feel both flattered...and terrified. But hey, don't you go poking fun of my updating schedule, Mister! Or should I say...WASABI? Hehe I blew your secret cover. :D

Yeah, Pokey's "flashback" past from Chapter 25 was supposed to be one giant _giant_ chapter with this, but I split it..unevenly. :x I need to stop splitting chapters haha. Interesting...so you think I'll resort to giving Pokey a happy, cheesy ending? *Dons sunglasses* Challenge accepted, WASABI! OR WIMPY GUARD. Or whatever nickname I call you these days. :D

**Plushiepaw:** Haha okeedokes, Plushie. :D I'm glad that the length is okay. Tbh, this is my first *serious* longfic, so I was really uncertain with whether or not a long chapter would scare readers away. Thanks for your feedback. XD And agreed; Pokey isn't my favorite character either, but his interesting background makes him one of the best video game villains of all time. I can't ever see myself _liking_ him, but I can empathize. And yeah, I wonder how different he could've been if his parents had treated him nicely from the start. :(

Unfortunately I don't really know much about child abuse, so I did some research (wow I sound so profesh). Given the limited screen time on the Minches, I doubt it paid off though haha. XD And as for if Pokey will redeem himself...it's definitely a question worth noting, but for now...we'll see. :)

**PSIBoy: **Thanks for the exam well-wishes! Yeah, PSIBoy, I've always liked to think that Ness did care for Pokey in the game as well. It's one of those things the game never really explains, but the Magicant encounter really solidified my feelings on this one. And yes! The yo-yo was indeed a metaphor of their friendship. :) I've read some stories on abuse, so I did my best on the topic, but since it's not the MAIN topic of the fic, it probably wasn't explored enough haha. And as for your interpretation on Pokey's jealousy bringing the worst out of him...I couldn't have said it better myself. :)

Lol who doesn't hate their earlier chapters? XD I'm starting to realize that I hate writing the first and last chapters, because DARN IT, they never reach my expectations. :/ Well, I do hope you get out of your writer's block and that R&R works out. And wat lmao, you actually remember that crack fic in chapter 13? XD Oh geez I forgot that abomination even existed. And "jumping on the theory train" haha no worries; every pun is a great pun. ;D

**Soliel: **Haha you flatter me; trust me, I'm not an English major for a damn good reason. ;) But AAAAH thanks for the compliment! I'm really glad that that you enjoy my story; That's what I'm here for after all. ^_^ And likewise, I believe that Pokey and Ness were really friends at some point in the game; unfortunate circumstances drifted them apart. :(

ACK oh no, please don't cry *Offers you a tissue* Whelp here's your daily dose of angst. ;D Come back for more, O' valued customer!

**Guest:** Oh no, not you too! *Hands you tissue* wow the angst business is going so well like seriously, forget college I'll just live on the tears of crying reviewers hehe


	27. Arc IV, Chapter 27: Sacrifice

**ARC IV: SACRIFICE**

**~Prologue~**

_Dear Brother, do not despair._

_Against the wintry winds of turbulent night,_

_Open wide your royal arms,_

_Embrace the warmth of dying light._

_._

_Dear Brother, do not despair._

_Close your clouded eyes; clear your festering mind._

_Helpless slave of deceitful doubt,_

_To the truth you will be but blind._

_._

_Dear Brother, do not despair._

_Should the sky shine bloody-red and the stars all fall,_

_Renew thine brotherly strength,_

_Stand firm and tall._

_._

_Dear Brother, do not despair._

_Your sad tears like crystals slide._

_They carve in me a pain beyond pain,_

_And sear a sharper wound in my side._

_._

_Dear Brother, do not despair._

_If I should perish, _

_If I should part,_

_On a high note my heart restart._


	28. Chapter 28

**UPDATE: 5/7/16**

**Finalized updating schedule:**

**Chapter 29: Wednesday, May 11**

**Chapter 30: Wednesday, May 18**

* * *

><p>Nightmares were a pain in the arse.<p>

And sleep was a major bitch.

Frustrated, Claus punched his cotton pillow in frustration, but it only deflated sadly in response. Muttering a sullen curse under his breath, the disgruntled teen shoved his disheveled head into his pillow. Yet, restless blue eyes blinked, tortured by his brother's words.

_"Why is it only okay if you want to sacrifice yourself? Why won't you let me do the same for you, Claus?!"_

Claus tried to imagine it. Helplessly watching as Giygas slowly throttled the life out of his younger brother, and Lucas slowly meeting his own horrified gaze with those betrayed, painfully overbright eyes...

_"If I were you, I wouldn't take another step. My finger might accidentally slip on the wrong button, and well...we wouldn't want anything tragic to happen to brother dearest, would we?"_

His eyes burst open. With a sharp intake of breath, Claus choked, trying steady his own breaths, because why was _he_ so bothered by something so trivial when _Lucas_ wasn't? Lucas had been the one half-strangled to death, but he didn't seem too shaken about the entire ordeal.

If there was one thing Claus knew for sure, Lucas had remarkable mental fortitude.

Lucas was strong.

Lucas didn't need him.

The truth hurt. In a way, a part of Claus _wanted_ Lucas to be dependent on him; it was selfish, but he liked the feeling of being looked up to, liked the feeling of being admired, even _loved._ Claus was supposed to be the older brother, damn it - older brothers were supposed to protect their siblings from scratches and bullies and tears.

But there were times when Claus wondered who was really doing the protecting, because if Claus was supposed to be the older brother...then he sure as hell was doing an awful job of it.

Maybe BuzzBuzz was right.

He really was a pathetic piece of shit.

* * *

><p><span><strong>~Arc IV: Sacrifice~<strong>

* * *

><p>"...It will happen?"<p>

"It will happen."

"And there's no way to...?"

"No."

"Ah." Lucas quietly sat by the riverbank, dipping his legs into the cool water. The brook gurgled and sang around his bare feet. "Claus will not take it too well."

"I know. That's why I wanted to talk to you alone." Straining to keep his voice level, BuzzBuzz spoke, fixing his eyes on the rising horizon. It was too painful to turn around, to stare at the soft features he knew too well. But slowly, his gaze flickered down to the young adolescent beside him.

Lucas just had that effect on people, BuzzBuzz presumed. The blond looked like the quintessential younger brother: a strange innocence shone from his wide irises, yet those same innocent blues somehow told a story of hardship, of someone who had been forced to grow up too quickly. Now the fact that BuzzBuzz had to tell _him,_ the boy who had died so abruptly ten years ago, that his fate was death yet again seemed like a cruel joke.

"BuzzBuzz?"

"Ask away."

"What happened in your timeline?"

"That is not a topic up for discussion."

"We failed, didn't we?"

"..."

"How did you survive when Giygas destroyed the world?"

"Nobody knows except for the Dark Dragon himself. And...well, you, I guess. The alternate you from my timeline, I mean." BuzzBuzz comfortably settled onto his right shoulder, playing around with the settings on his jet pack. "The apocalypse was rough on all of us; it wiped out every single adult from the face of the planet."

"Only all the adults?" Lucas thought of his father potentially disappearing. His stomach gave a nasty twinge. "Why?"

"No clue. Your guess is as good as mine."

"And after I died...what happened to others?"

BuzzBuzz winced. "Lucas, you wouldn't want to know; it's not a happy story. Knowing too much about the future is a bad thing."

Lucas stared at his hands. "I have a right to know what happened to my friends," he said quietly.

"Nothing will dissuade you otherwise?"

"No."

"If you insist..." BuzzBuzz exhaled a deep sigh. "Ten years ago, after we lost you to Giygas...Claus and Ness had a really bad falling out. Unlike in your timeline, circumstances between them hadn't been so kind to begin with, and only got worse. Your death was the last straw. It was stupid, really, because your death hadn't been caused by either of them, but by the last member of their party; yet neither of his friends ever blamed him for what had happened - not even once. The apocalypse was rough on all of us. We were all that we had, and I...I'm sorry, Lucas, I should've been there for them; I should've checked up on Ness, should've helped Claus cope when I had the chance..."

"One morning, Claus left the refugee camp_._ He had simply vanished without a trace. No note, no message - _nothing._ Shortly after he disappeared, Ness demanded to leave on a quest to avenge your death and bring Claus back. Paula, Poo, and Jeff refused to let him go alone, so they tagged along with him. I never saw any of them again." BuzzBuzz got a strange, faraway look in his eyes. "Who knows, maybe they had all been still alive when I left?"

"With his past expertise in PSI, Ninten quickly became leader of the resistance. Wracked with terrible guilt, he searched in vain for a way to turn back the clock and set things right. It took ten years, but the solution finally presented itself in an unexpected illness: PSI fever. Apparently, I dis-...I mean, _he_ discovered 4th Dimension Slip, an ability that transverse through in time, and from there...well, you know the rest. Lucas, I wouldn't worry too much over it; the future has already been changed with me simply _existing_ in your timeline. _My_ future will never exist, and has never existed as far as anyone is ever concerned."

Suddenly, BuzzBuzz flickered, then coughed hard. "Enough about the woes of the past. Weren't you always one of the last people to wake up in the morning? You'd always used to sleep in until one in the afternoon."

"Used to?"

"I mean, you still do...right?"

"Usually." A faint smile. "Sleepyheads wake up early too every now and then, you know."

"You look like you haven't been sleeping well."

"I don't think _anyone_ has been sleeping well," Lucas said dryly. "It's hard to sleep when the world is about to end."

"Something's keeping you awake. Was it Claus?"

Lucas shifted uncomfortably. "Partly. We don't usually fight..."

When BuzzBuzz began to look horribly guilty, Lucas quickly added, "But whenever we get into a disagreement, it doesn't last long! Claus just needs time to cool off."

"I was hoping that he wouldn't let out his frustration onto you." BuzzBuzz internally winced. "I talked to him the other night and it sort of...escalated."

"Yeah." Lucas quietly watched a white mouse crawl out of the foliage. It intelligently twitched its ears once before scurrying off into the nearest trees. "Claus didn't admit it, but I could tell that whatever you said made him really upset."

Double whammy. "He's a strong kid. I wouldn't have criticized him if I thought he couldn't stomach it," BuzzBuzz muttered before changing the subject. "But about what I've said about the Seventh Needle and the time-space distortion...none of that bothers you?"

"Kind of. Maybe a little." Lucas stared back at his reflection in the stream. Within its depths, something scaly flashed an emerald green, and Lucas pulled his legs out, watching a fishy tail peek out from underneath the cool mirror. "From what you've told me...if I've already died once to destroy the world...well...it shouldn't be too hard to die a second time to save it, would it? Because it has to be done..."

Pity for the boy squeezed his heart, and feeling his throat close up, BuzzBuzz merely nodded, redirecting his gaze to the stream as well.

"I won't tell Claus."

BuzzBuzz blinked. "...You won't?"

Lucas laughed quietly. "You came to talk to me first, because you were afraid of how the others would take it. Don't worry; I won't tell them about my dea-...I'd rather them not know. And after what happened last night..." A pained look flickered across Lucas's face before it vanished. "I wouldn't want Claus to worry."

"It won't be easy. Giygas will do anything to turn you into his pawn. As far as _he_ knows, both you and your brother can use PK Love."

"That's unfortunate."

"Unless he specifically decides to target one of you, both of you are in grave danger," BuzzBuzz warned in a stern tone. "Stick to your friends at the all times, and keep a vigilant eye out for them too. Especially for your brother. Lord knows how reckless he can get. All right?"

"I will." Lucas met his eyes - a soft baby-blue that melted his heart. "BuzzBuzz?"

His throat dried up. "Yeah?"

"You seem to know me pretty well. Are you someone I know too?"

"Possibly."

"...What is your real name?"

"What is a name? What is _in_ a name?" BuzzBuzz laughed loudly without mirth. "My name...I haven't thought about my real name in ages. For the past ten years, it's always been Commander Nu this, or Commander Nu that. I've had other nicknames too...Teddy and Lloyd used to tease me by calling me BuzzBuzz for my hair, and sometimes, Ana would walk up to me and say-" BuzzBuzz flushed, then cleared his throat rather loudly. "Believe me, Lucas; you're better off not knowing."

Lucas laughed softly. "I'm surprised that no one else has figured it out. It's obvious, isn't it?"

Fiddling around with his now-sputtering jetpack engine, BuzzBuzz frowned. "Obvious?"

"All the drama, the hints, the spats you start with Claus...You've changed your name, yet in some ways, you've still stayed the same." Lucas returned to watching the river flow. "I've never met my alternate self, but if he was anything like me...I'm sure that he never would've blamed you for his death, Ninten."

With a sharp gasp of smoke, the jetpack suddenly returned to life.

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

"Hey."

"...Hey."

Heading off in the opposite direction, Ness paused, catching the other boy by the shoulder. "Claus, we all heard about what happened last night."

Blearily rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, Claus shrugged the hand off. "Good to know," he muttered. "Must've been some five-star dinner entertainment for everybody, huh?"

_"Entertainment_ was the last word I had in mind," Ness said dryly. "Listen, I know Lucas came to talk to you later in the night. Did you push him away?"

"I was sleeping."

Ness rolled his eyes. "Of course you were. Anyways, I was kind of wondering...well...is Lucas an early riser?"

Claus looked at him weirdly. "No. He sleeps like the dickens. Why?"

"I figured. He was already up at the crack of dawn today. I have a feeling that he didn't get any sleep at all last night."

"...you've got to be kidding me."

"He's been fiddling around with the radio all morning. When I started talking, he _seemed_ okay, but you know..." Ness grimaced helplessly. "Lucas never really talks to anyone about his own problems. Since you're up, you should check on him just to be sure."

Claus sighed. "Fine, I'll check on him. You go to the Hot Springs, or wherever you're headed."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Having you around won't exactly help my case."

Looking distinctly relieved, Ness nodded. "Let me know if I can help," he said, violet eyes flashing with concern before he walked off, trekking down the cobbled stone path.

Claus sighed, running a hand through his own hair. Last night was a mish-mash of weird nightmares and trippy dreams. Shortly after his disastrous audience with BuzzBuzz, Claus had soon headed towards the Hot Springs to "cool off." It was a strange sensation, sinking into the lukewarm water all by himself. Sometimes, he had caught himself about to speak, half-thinking that Lucas was next to him, but quickly clamped up when he remembered that Lucas was very much back at the cottage. But regardless of his torturous thoughts, Claus must've accidentally fallen asleep in the heat of the soothing steam, because this morning, a rather surprised Ninten had rudely woken him up by splashing water onto his face.

"Do you normally fall asleep in the bathtub?" he had curiously asked him, and Claus had merely grunted in response, reaching out for a clean towel and hobbling away on his wet, prune-like feet.

However, something about his own dreams troubled him immensely...it felt distinctly unsatisfying, almost like he was forgetting something _important..._but for all the world, Claus couldn't put a finger on what it could be. Somehow, he knew that weird green water was involved, maybe along with something quite sharp and gold.

But after that particular nightmare, all Claus knew for certain was that he had to use the bathroom _real badly_.

However, now was not the time to dawdle like a Dream Oracle. Claus shook his head; Lucas's well-being came first.

The journey back to the cottage didn't take long. When Claus finally arrived, carefully stepping over a stray Mr. Saturn or two, he found the cottage relatively empty. BuzzBuzz must be taking watch again, and the others were probably at the Hot Springs.

Lucas sat alone, curled up against the cold. The small radio was nestled in his hands, connected to the headphones on his ears. Swallowing hard in trepidation, Claus walked closer, traipsing across the soft, woolen carpet. Lucas still gave no sign of noticing him, so Claus gently bent over, sliding the headphones off from his ears.

Startled, Lucas jerked his head up, but his initial shock quickly faded into a bright grin. "Morning."

Eyeing the radio, Claus shook the headphones slightly. "What are you listening to?"

"_All by Myself__._"

"By Eric Carmen?"

Lucas nodded.

"Let me listen." In a deft motion, Claus snugly fitted the headphones over his own ears. Sad piano notes dropped ahigh like rain, soon accompanied by a man's voice cracking with emotion. Claus winced, instantly sliding the headphones off. "Why is this song so damn depressing?"

"I like the lyrics." Lucas offered him the radio console. "Want to sing along?"

Claus's face darkened. "I told you. I'm not singing."

Knowing better than to test his patience, Lucas quietly took the radio back. "It's a good song."

Staring at the ceiling, Claus sprawled onto his back. "It's too sad. Turn on something else."

"Like what?"

"_Sexyback._"

"What?!" Lucas flushed a dark crimson, shoving his amused brother aside. "I'm not singing that song!"

"No, you totally should," Claus grinned, raising his hands in surrender. "Here, if you'll sing the lead, I'll try to make a convincing chorus-"

Lucas buried his face into his hands. "Oh my god, shut uuuuuuup-"

"And you have to make it sound all seductive and shit like _this_," Claus continued, making stupid kissy-faces in his direction. "Ahhm bringin' shmexy baaaak-"

"Ew, no!"

"Shmexy baaaaaaaaaak-"

"What the, eww, no-Ack!" Lucas burst out into bright laughter when Claus tickled him in the ribs, and taking advantage of this opportunity to cause more mischief, Claus lazily dangled the radio out of his reach. Lucas desperately made a grab for it, but Claus smirked, yanking it far behind his back.

"Claus, _no_! Give back the radio! Nooooo, I'm serious; I don't wanna listen to that song!"

"Hey, I'll have you know that Justin Timberlake is a true _classic-"_

But five minutes later, Claus quietly listened as his brother fiddled with the radio, changing songs from track to track. Somewhere within the melancholic melody of _Without You _by Harry Nilsson, Claus had suddenly slung an arm around his brother's shoulders, drawing him close in a rare act of sentimentality. Without pausing to voice the somber lyrics under his tongue, Lucas mirrored the action. His fingernails slightly dug into the crook of his brother's neck, but Claus didn't mind, shifting into a more comfortable position for both of them.

Finally, he drew the courage to speak. "Lucas, look, about yesterday night..."

"It's okay, Claus," Lucas said softly. "A lot had happened, and well, you needed space. I needed space. I understand." Lucas sent him a concerned look. "Was BuzzBuzz really harsh on you?"

Claus grimaced. "I'm fine," he muttered, rubbing at his own shoulder. "I can take some criticism every now and then. Besides, I hate to admit it, but he had a good point."

"What did he want from you?"

"Didn't you hear him yelling his head off?"

"Kind of," Lucas admitted. "But no one could really make out any of the words."

"Oh." Claus visibly relaxed, exhaling a relieved sigh. "It's nothing important then," he announced, playfully poking Lucas in the ribs. "At least, it's nothing you should be worried about."

Lucas laughed, swatting his arm aside. "All right then. As long as you don't butt heads with BuzzBuzz again, I won't pry." He paused, looking rather forlornly out the window. "Do you think he's looking for us back home?"

"Who?"

"Dad."

Claus let out a contemptuous snort. "Are you kidding me? _No_."

Lucas's forehead creased into a frown of deep concern. "I hope he's eating all right...," he trailed off, eyes glazing over in thought. "The sandwiches we made him wouldn't have lasted a week..."

"That old crocker? Lucas, he's probably doing _fine_ on his own. Heck, I doubt he's even realized we've gone missing! _Wasted on his ass,_ more like." Scrunching his eyebrows in disgust, Claus let out a contemptuous snort. "By the time we return home, I wouldn't be surprised if he's already busted his liver from drinking-"

"That's not funny," Lucas said quietly.

Claus fell silent. "You're right. It's not."

"I know you two don't get along, but he really does care for you inside." Lucas shifted a disappointed look onto his brother. "He just has a hard time expressing it. Like you."

Guilt prickling his conscience at the gentle rebuke, Claus tried to laugh it off, diverting Lucas's attention with a firm shake of the shoulder. "Cheer up. I was just kidding, you know. We'll see him soon. _A__nd_ Boney. _And_ a crap ton of missed physics homework."

"Don't say things like that. You'll jinx your luck."

"Are you still upset?"

"..."

"How much?"

"...A little."

Claus shifted uncomfortably. "I didn't actually mean it," he muttered, tensing his fingers in agitation.

Lucas's eyes softened. "I know."

There was an awkward silence, and Claus turned away, wishing he had kept his fat mouth shut again before gentle fingers stopped him with a firm grip on his arm.

"So...You were saying about Physics?" Lucas asked, looking at him expectantly.

Shaking his head, Claus shuffled his feet. "It's nothing," he grunted. "Just something stupid."

"I still want to hear it," Lucas pressed, blinking up in interest.

Taking that as a cue for forgiveness, Claus rolled his eyes and huffed loudly in exasperation. "No, it's just..._physics! _You've seen Dr. Andonuts assign a shitload of homework every class. If we don't make it back soon, I'd be surprised if we aren't held back another year."

Oddly enough, Lucas didn't say anything in response.

Curious by his shift in demeanor, Claus faced him with a frown. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Lucas said rather quietly, picking at the carpet.

As Lucas shifted, the light caught his tired face, and Claus's frown deepened, eyeing the dark bags under his brother's haunted eyes. This was exactly what Ness had meant; any conversation with Lucas somehow ended up with them talking about their own problems instead.

But Claus wasn't planning to get distracted a second time. "Hey. What's up?"

"The ceiling."

"Nice try, but that's not what I'm talking about. You look..." Claus finally met his eyes. "Tired."

Lucas laughed. "Have you seen yourself lately?"

"Stop changing the subject, Lucas. Have you been getting nightmares again?"

"No."

"I beg to differ," Claus said dryly. There was a well-hidden misery underneath his brother's expression: Lucas's melancholy eyes seemed robbed of their usual vivid blue. "How bad are they getting?"

Lucas winced. "They're not that bad-"

"_Lucas_."

The younger twin relented. "Okay, they've been getting worse, but it's nothing I can't handle. I don't...I can take care of myself, Claus." As he spoke, Lucas gently shoved him aside, then pulled the headphones back over his ears. "Let's talk later. I need to practice my vocal chords. They're getting rusty."

Watching him tweak around with the glass dial of the radio, a stunned Claus sat in place, feeling like he was a trillion miles away. In fact, it almost felt like Lucas was purposely _trying_ to put distance between them, something that _clearly_ made no sense. Something was definitely up.

Or perhaps he was over-reacting, and Lucas really wanted space.

Yet, the elder stubbornly persisted, closing in with outstretched fingers. Surprised, Lucas briefly looked up before Claus ripped the headphones away, flinging them onto the couch.

"Claus..." Exasperated, Lucas rose to retrieve them until Claus suddenly held him back. Confused by his unusual behavior, Lucas threw him a questioningly look.

"Lucas, listen to me." Claus took a deep breath. "Even before all this craziness started, you've had trouble falling asleep for a while. And I mean like more than usual; you pulled another all-nighter again, haven't you?" When Lucas opened his mouth, Claus quickly cut across him. "Don't deny it. I've been meaning to talk to you about it."

"You worry too much," Lucas laughed, but for once, his laughter rubbed Claus off the wrong way. The elder twin grew even more irritated at the sound, feeling like his younger sibling wasn't taking his words seriously.

"_Lucas._"

"Okay, okay," Still grinning, Lucas held his hands up in surrender. "You can trust me to handle my "sleeping problems" on my own-"

"It's not a matter of trust. It's a matter of your _health,"_ Claus said flatly, feeling around for something on the couch nearby. Guiding a pillow into his brother's fingers, Claus patted it into his chest. "If you're not going to talk about it, then I really want you to sleep."

"I don't wan-"

"Just try."

Lucas hesitated, shifting to meet his brother's unyielding gaze, then with a reluctant sigh, caved in, curling his shaky fingers around the pillow. Claus watched him intently, tensing up every time Lucas opened his eyes, but finally relaxed when the younger twin slowly yielded to slumber, uncomfortably curling up against the cushions. But this relief was for naught; after a few seconds, Lucas re-opened his eyes, this time looking rather green. Shaking his head slowly, Lucas pushed himself back up.

Claus frowned. "Can't sleep?"

Eyes closed, Lucas nodded.

Feeling rather guilty for pushing him to his limits, Claus reluctantly withdrew. "Lucas, what's the matter?" he said in an unusually soft tone. "Was it me? Did I do something wrong?"

Lucas scrunched his eyes shut. "It's not you, Claus. It's me..."

"I highly doubt that."

"Mm."

"You're impossible," Claus groaned, burying his face into his hands. "How am I supposed to help you if you won't even tell me what's wrong?"

"Claus, now isn't a good time to talk. I want some time alone-"

"So you can wallow in misery again for the next week or two? I don't think so." Frowning, Claus leaned closer, forcing his brother to flatten himself against the wall. "You're overthinking again. Take a break."

"Claus-"

_"Lucas,"_ Claus mocked in the same tone, crossing his arms.

Lucas's frown deepened. "Drop it. I'm not in the mood to humor you."

"Oh, really? Well, how do you think _I_ feel when you clam up like this?" Claus pressed, prodding Lucas in the chest. "Do you know how hard it is to look after you when you don't _SPEAK _to me about something? It drives me up the wall!"

Lucas's eyes turned to the ground. "Nobody said you _had_ to look after me."

"AUUUUGH!" Claus nearly tore his own hair out in frustration. "Why do you have to be so STUBBORN?!"

"Claus, keep your voice down," Lucas said sharply. "You are causing a scene."

"SCREW THAT SHIT! DO YOU THINK I'D REALLY CARE IF I MAKE A SCENE?! THERE'S LITERALLY NOBODY HERE!"

"The others might still be asleep-"

"NO, THEY AREN'T! _NESS WENT TO THE FUCKING HOT SPRINGS!"_ Suddenly, Claus let loose a loud, hysterical laugh. "It's always the same problem, isn't it?_ I'm_ trying to help _you_, but _you're_ off too busy helping everyone else! Just stop. Drop everything for once, and take a good look at yourself." Blue eyes blazed in furious disbelief. "Geezus, you're barely even awake! You keep asking for time to think, but how can you possibly think straight like this?"

"I can think perfectly _fine-_"

"Are you even _trying _to take me seriously? Oh, wait. That's right. You'd obviously care more about _YOUR BEST FRIEND __TRYING TO SLEEP _than _ME TRYING TO TALK TO YOU!"_

Lucas looked hurt. "What makes you think that I _don't_ care about you?"

"Well, you never show it!" Claus dug in savagely, trying to mask his own hurt. "Are all younger brothers this _annoying_?!"

"Annoying?!" Lucas burst out, indignantly clenching his fists. "Why are you so _overprotective_?!"

"Well, gee! I don't know!" Claus said sarcastically, jabbing a finger into his direction. "_GROW THE FUCK UP, LUCAS._ Maybe if you weren't such a big_ coward_, I wouldn't have to step in for you all the time!"

The sound of shattering glass hit their ears.

Lucas froze, holding the broken remnants of the radio dial, which fizzled weakly in his fingers. With every passing second, he rapidly paled, turning a shade of bloodless white. All too late, Claus realized that he had made a terrible mistake, but before he could say any more, Lucas had abruptly risen to his feet, sweeping away in eerie silence.

"Ah, fuck." Cursing under his breath, Claus struggled to keep up. "Lucas, wait! I didn't mean to say-"

"Didn't mean to say _what_?" Lucas said in an icy whisper, fixing him with the full force of his hard gaze. "To call me COWARD? Why deny it, Claus, if it's the truth?" Tears quickly started to well up Lucas's eyes. "What's the point in hiding something that you're finally honest about?"

"Oh, geez, Lucas, I..." Claus forcefully gripped his own hair in distress. "I screwed up. I'm sorry-"

"I'm going to the Hot Springs."

Claus blanched. "Lucas, don't be like this-"

"Don't follow me."

"Lucas-"

"Goodbye, Claus."

Knowing a sinking ship when he saw one, Claus immediately jumped the gun. Desperation fueled his head like an adrenaline rush, and he wildly sprinted, skidding out front to block Lucas's way with both arms. "NO."

Lucas's initial anger quickly dissolved into barely-restrained disbelief. "Excuse me?"

"You're not going anywhere until you hear what I have to say."

There was a pause as both twins appraised each other. Suddenly, Lucas made a dash for it, bolting around him to the left, but anticipating the move, Claus had already dived forward, wrestling him to the ground. Tufts of snow flew into the air like discarded confetti in their wake.

"Claus, let me go!"

"Like heck I will!"

"Get. Off."

"Not in a million years, dumbass!"

"Claus, you are...being...ridiculous..." Panting, Lucas tried to push him off, but Claus refused to budge, using his legs to weigh him down. Lowering his head against a snowdrift in defeat, Lucas quivered, sputtering into a dry sob. "Why can't you leave me alone...?"

"Because I'm the evil twin. Now, cough up."

"I hate you."

"Good, because I hate you too."

"You...not going to listen..." Looking like he was going to cry, hit him, or do both, Lucas forced the words out through trembling lips, eyelashes coated with a shivering film of tears. He clenched his fists, pounding them against the snow in vain. "I hate you. I hate you, Claus! You never listen to what I have to say, because it's always about how _you_ feel all the time, isn't it?"

Hurt stabbed Claus deeply like an icy dagger plunging into his heart. "Well, what am I supposed to do?! Watch you overthink until you burn yourself out?" Claus growled, furiously struggling to restrain him. "See, this is why I can't leave you on your own! Not because you're a coward, not because I don't trust you, but because you're too damn _delicate _for your own good!"

"I'm not delicate!" Lucas snapped, throwing him an icy glare that was somewhat diminished by the fact that he was flattened against the ground.

"You are delicate. You're _supposed_ to be delicate, damn it: you're my little brother!"

"I'm your _twin."_

_"Younger_ twin. Like it or not, Lucas, you're still my lil' bro. Come on, don't do this to me," Claus begged. "I'm supposed to look after you."

"We're supposed to look after _each other."_

"I don't get it! Why can't you let me do this for _you?"_ When Lucas didn't respond, Claus swallowed hard. "Yeah, I know. I fucked up big time. I wasn't thinking when I called you a coward, and...and I'm sorry."

"I'm glad to hear that you're _sorry."_

"Stop twisting my words around! I really didn't mean to say it like that, Lucas!"

Lucas closed his eyes. "Don't be sorry. Why apologize if it's the truth?"

He had spoken in that sad, quiet tone Claus knew all too well - it was the tone Lucas rarely used whenever he was extremely angry or upset. Icy blue eyes flashed, resembling twin lakes of brimming moisture. The silence was so overbearing that Claus blinked, swallowing down the lump in his throat and trying to ignore the empty, tight feeling in his aching chest.

What a terrible feeling it was too.

"...Last night, you wanted us to leave you behind," Claus mumbled, scratching at the dirt with his fingernails. "If I left you behind...then what was I supposed to do back in the city? Twiddle my thumbs and wait for you to save the world? Tell dad that I abandoned you on a mountain miles away from home? Dig another grave for you next to mom a-and cry my eyes out if you don't return?" Pure anguish seeped into Claus's eyes, bright and full of pain, but as if by storm, they were quickly extinguished. Claus exhaled loudly, then lowered his head, clenching his fists so hard that they turned a pale alabaster.

"Is that what you really want, Lucas? Do you really want me _not_ to care?"

Lucas said nothing.

"I know. Sometimes, I can get too over protective for my own good...but if you get hurt because I wasn't there to help you, then I...I can't..." Claus deeply breathed in, then scrunched his eyes shut. "Look, Lucas. For better or worse, we're stuck together. You know I'm going to end up worrying my sorry head over you, so just accept the goddamn fact and let me in!"

His younger brother opened his mouth, then trembling, closed it. Lucas was shaking so hard that he was almost vibrating in place, clenching his jaw and gripping his knuckles in an unseen struggle.

"Claus..."

Tear drops fell from his cheeks, painting small dots into the snow. Lucas choked, trying to keep everything in, but one tear led to two, then three, then dissolved into a rain of sadness. Burying his wet eyes into shaking hands, Lucas sank deeper into the snow in a quiet sob. There was no way he could tell Claus about his imminent death; the truth would cause Claus too much pain.

It would break him.

"I can't...I can't tell you..."

"Yes, you can," Claus said in an uncharacteristically firm, yet gentle tone. "If you've managed to put up with me for the past thirteen years, then you're brave enough to tell me anything."

There was a pause as Lucas took shallow breaths, scrambling to compose his thoughts. Claus waited patiently, easing up the pressure on his back, and Lucas wiped his eyes, settling for the lesser of two truths.

"For the past few weeks, I've been having nightmares about you...well...dying." Lucas felt his cheeks burn hot with embarrassment, and instantly, he snapped his mouth shut in mortification, realizing how extremely childish and stupid he probably sounded. But when Claus didn't speak, falling unusually quiet, Lucas lowered his eyes back to the ground. "I know, it's really dumb, but with mom already gone, and you here...it kind of made me think...what if my dreams actually turn real? You could really die because you refused to turn me in, and I can't risk that; I don't want to lose you again." Lucas sank deeper into the snow. "Is that too much for me to ask for?"

Explosive anger quickly extinguished, Claus watched his twin with an uncomfortable expression on his face. Finally, the ginger shifted over, wordlessly patting snow off his brother's clothes, then hesitantly rested a hand on his shoulder. When Lucas didn't shrug it off, the elder twin knelt down beside him.

"Lucas..."

Shaking his head, his younger brother clapped his hands over his eyes, then turned away.

But tenderly, Claus reached out, cupping both cheeks with warm hands, and gently brushed a droplet aside with his thumb.

"Lucas, I...I'm sorry. Don't apologize. I didn't know you were under so much pressure, and I'm sorry. You know I have a crappy temper, and well...I'm trying, I really am. And you're right; you've always been right. I was wrong; I'm really sorry. I swear, we'll look after each other, just like you said. So don't dwell too much on it; it was just a nightmare, a big, stupid nightmare that won't ever come true, and I'll be extra careful, and..." Torn and lost for words, Claus didn't seem to know what to say, petering off into uncomfortable silence. "Please, don't cry."

"I'm...I'm not crying..."

"What's this, then? A rock?" Claus touched another tear droplet, and Lucas buried his face in his hands.

"Tears of h-happiness."

Claus sighed. "Don't be ridiculous."

Lucas hiccuped. "I'm sorry, Claus."

"What for?"

"About earlier, I don't really hate you, it just...and I-"

"I know. It's okay." Claus smirked, opening his arms wide. "What do you think brothers are for, you big goof?"

Lucas choked, diving forward to wrap his arms around his neck, and Claus tightly squeezed him in a bone-crushing hug, taking the opportunity to give him a rough noogie or two.

"I'm sorry...I'm sorry..."

"You're an idiot," Claus sighed, trapping him in a tight headlock. "Did you honestly think I was going to make fun of you? I say all sorts of stupid things, but I wouldn't ever tease you over your nightmares," he added fiercely, swiping his finger over his ribs. "Cross my heart and hope to...uh, not die."

Embarrassed, his younger brother nodded, wiping the tears from his eyes with a hasty sleeve. "And yeah, I'm sorry, you don't have a crappy temper either..." Claus arched an eyebrow skeptically in response, and Lucas let out a quiet laugh. "All right, maybe you do."

"Thanks," Claus said dryly. "I'm flattered by the compliment."

"You should be. Not many people have a temper that can rival yours."

"Now you're just messing with me."

As if on cue, Lucas sneezed. Wrapping an arm around his shivering shoulders, Claus guiltily steered him upright, trying to warm his twin up. "C'mon, let's head back inside. You're freezing."

"...Claus?"

"Yeah?"

Rosy-cheeked from cold, Lucas let out a soft, choked laugh, peering up at him with happiness-brimming eyes. "I love you."

Claus wrinkled his nose. "Ewwww."

"I love you, Claus. I love you so much."

"Sappy much? Who are you, and what have you done to my brother?"

Rubbing the moisture away from his eyes, Lucas shyly beamed, playfully shoving him with his shoulder. Torn between keeping his cool attitude and humoring his younger brother, Claus grumbled, puffing up his cheeks in sheer indignation. But he finally relented, awkwardly letting Lucas to nestle his chin onto the crook of his shoulder.

"Yeah, whatever," Claus mumbled. "You're still annoying."

The next second, he took the words back because Lucas had suddenly decided that it was a _great_ idea to dump a WHOLE FRICKIN SHEET OF SNOW down his neck. With a rather undignified yell, Claus stumbled backwards, sprawling right onto his rear. "You...You didn't just-"

"Catch you later, _brother_." Doubling over with chiming laughter, Lucas raced back inside for dear life as Claus sat up, spitting snow chunks out of his mouth. The older twin violently fisted air, letting out a vengeful howl.

"YOU TWAT! STOP RIGHT THERE! OH MY GOD, LUCAS, WHEN I CATCH YOU, YOU ARE _SO_ DEAD-"

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

"So you're telling us-"

"Correct."

"And it's under New Pork City?"

"Yes. The journey will take three days on foot. We will be leaving after two more days of rest and recovery. You know, Ninten, I'm quite surprised that you're up and about after that nasty sickness."

"It's nothing I can't handle. But wait, so you're saying that _Lucas_ is the only one who can pull the Seventh Needle?! How about _Claus?!"_

Under Ninten's incredulous interrogation, BuzzBuzz paused, flitting a glance to his left. The still-silent Claus slowly met his gaze, but as if remembering their heated conversation last night, he sullenly turned away, helping himself to another serving of steaming Jumbo Shrimp Soup. Clearing his throat rather loudly to cover up the awkward moment, BuzzBuzz continued.

"While Claus does have the...potential...to pull the Seventh Needle, Lucas is currently the only one with PK Love under his arsenal. This is why we agreed that he should be responsible for summoning the Dark Dragon."

Looking rather queasy, Claus kept his eyes fixed on the table. "You're basically asking him to save the world."

"Essentially, yes."

"I still think you've got the wrong person," Lucas added quietly.

"Yeah, I think so too," Claus smirked, poking him by the shoulder. "Lucas isn't exactly made of _world-saving_ material. But don't you worry your big head, little brother. If I learn PK Love in time, then I'll pull the Needle for you-"

Lucas almost choked on his water. "NO! I've got it all under control!"

Luckily, Claus mistook his brother's terror as desperation to prove himself, and grinning, Claus ruffled his hair. "Chill out, Lucas. I promise I won't steal your thunder."

Chewing on his food, Ninten poked his chopsticks in their direction. "Well, _technically, _you know PK Thunder-"

Instantly, the smile vanished from Claus's face. "Ninten, _no._"

"Ninten, _yes_."

Claus furiously scrabbled across the table. "Why I oughta-"

"They're at it again," Ness whispered, comically rolling his eyes, and Lucas stifled a smile of his own.

BuzzBuzz suddenly let out a bark of laughter, a sound of hilarity which at the same time rippled with an undercurrent of sadness. "You won't be alone, Lucas. You have your friends," he indicated with his head. "And your brother, all of whom will be at your side."

"So once Lucas pulls the Seventh Needle, everything will turn back to normal, right?" Claus demanded, finally breaking out of the spat. "No more running for our lives and hopping over mountains - we can _finally_ get on with our lives and live Happily Ever After?"

Strangely enough, BuzzBuzz's brown eyes flickered away from his. A weird muscle ticked in his cheekbone as if the man was chewing on something rather unpleasant, but they must've been mistaken, because BuzzBuzz finally swallowed down his morsel of shrimp. "Yes."

Claus noticeably relaxed. His concerns fully satisfied, he instinctively turned towards his brother.

A good thing he did too. Lucas had yet to touch his food, and it was a bad habit Claus knew all too well whenever the younger twin was highly upset or extremely stressed. Often times, Lucas would purposely end up skipping all his meals before a concert or two, and Claus would have to wheedle him to eat so that his younger brother wouldn't faint of dehydration on stage.

With a clink of wooden chopsticks, Claus sighed, then deftly picking out some Grilled Fish, neatly deposited it on his brother's rice.

"Eat up, goofball. You have a whole frickin' world to save."

Lucas let out a soft smile, then pushed the bowl aside. "Thanks, but-"

"No buts! I'd better see you eat, or else I'm not letting you go anywhere!" Claus threatened sternly. "It's your choice: either you eat your dirt, or I'm force-feeding it to you."

"Claus-"

"Eat. The fish."

Lucas gave him a stubborn look, then promptly proceeded to ignore him as Ninten initiated yet another conversation with BuzzBuzz.

Not one to be deterred, Claus changed tactics, playfully stepping on his brother's shoe.

Eeping loudly, Lucas jumped, retracting his trodden foot. "What are you doing?"

"What do you think I'm doing?"

Claus's shoe brushed against his again, and Lucas scooted away. "Quit it," he hissed.

"You quit it, quitter!"

Lucas threw him an exasperated pout, childishly crossing his arms and kicking his feet from underneath his chair. "I want to be excused."

"Excuse _you."_

"Claus, give it a rest! I'm trying to listen to what BuzzBuzz has to say, and you should too-"

"But I wanna talk to youuuu," Claus moaned sadly, shoving his face in close quarters. Immediately, he felt a satisfying surge of evil pleasure when Lucas flustered, looking extremely uncomfortable.

"What are you- _Stoppit! _Everybody's staring-"

"Aw, look at you worrying your pretty little head over nothing!" Claus smirked, raising an arm to ruffle his hair, and Lucas ducked to avoid the hand.

"Stop teasing me!"

"Is there a problem?" BuzzBuzz interrupted, breaking away from his speech.

Instantly, both twins plopped back into their seats, each wearing completely nonidentical expressions much to everyone's collective amusement: Lucas looked absolutely mortified beyond his wits while Claus looked like he was ready to undergo the World's first laughter therapy.

"S-Sorry," Lucas stammered lamely, flushing a beat red. "We were...I-I mean, I'm just...really hungry."

Claus broke out into one of the biggest smiles Lucas had seen since they had left home. "You're such a dork," he proclaimed, happily swatting Lucas upside the head. "What kind of excuse is that?!"

Rolling his eyes, Lucas picked up the crunchy piece of grilled fish with his chopsticks. Dipping it in soy sauce, he began to nibble at it, much to Claus's unrestrained delight. "Once you get back home, I'm reporting you for child abuse."

"Good boy," Claus said sarcastically, successfully ruffling up Lucas's hair, and Lucas laughed, swatting his arm away.

"Jerk."

"Loser."

Lucas suddenly lunged forward, swiftly nabbing a small piece of shrimp off from Claus's plate and swallowing it whole.

"Hey! That was mine!"

"Says who?" Lucas said cheekily, eyes glittering in silent mischief.

Claus huffed indignantly. "Oh yeah? Well, what if I steal YOUR food like THIS-"

**CLINK.**

"DAMN IT, LUCAS!"

Said twin grinned, blocking Claus's advances with his own chopsticks. "What's the matter, Claus?" he teased, blocking his older brother yet again with another skillful swipe of his utensils. "Forgot how to eat?"

"THAT'S IT." Hurling his chopsticks onto the table, Claus instantly launched himself onto his laughing brother, pinning him by the shoulders and wrestling him under the table in a messy tumble. "No one steals my food and gets away with it. ESPECIALLY NOT MY OWN TWIN!"

"Ladies, please," Ninten said pompously. "Control yourselves."

"Control YOUR FACE!" Claus yelled back before Lucas pulled him back into the fray.

At the immature comeback, Ness couldn't resist the urge to laugh. "Oh snap, son. You got _told."_

"Dick." Ninten rolled his eyes. "Claus, on the bright side, at least you _know_ how to eat with chopsticks," he said sagely. "There are some people in the world who are too uncultured to-"

"Shut up, Ninten," Ness said sullenly, barbarically reduced to stabbing at his food. A piece of shrimp drooped sadly from the end of his stick. "My dad works for a _BURGER_ company. Your dad is a friggin' _business attorney."_

"So?"

"Didn't your parents teach you silverware etiquette when you were five?"

Ninten rolled his eyes. "That was only because they were _obsessed_ with being all "proper" and "trim." Trust me; when your dad starts dragging you along to all his boring dinners with his clients, he kinda expects you to behave the same way."

Finally subduing Lucas from under the table, Claus smirked, popping his head up. "Ness can't use chopsticks?"

Ness flushed. "Shut your mouth."

Of course, Claus wasn't one to let such a golden opportunity go to waste. "Hah!" he said gleefully, milking in the moment. "I can't believe it! You really don't know, do you?"

"Oh my god, _shut up_, Claus," Ness hissed, shooting him the meanest death-glare he could muster.

"No wonder you were slurping down your Lifenoodles back at the cave _with your bare hands_-"

Thankfully, Lucas struggled out from under the table in time to intercept, shooting Claus an equally nasty glower. "Cheater. You used your powers."

Claus smirked. "All's fair in Food and War, dear brother."

"That was a reckless move on your part." At BuzzBuzz's rebuke, Claus stiffened, and his smile quickly faded. The fairy-man sent him a look of disapproval. "Until you have full control over your emotions, any form of telekinesis is dangerous, not only to you, but also to other people."

Claus opened his mouth to retort, but stopped when he felt a gentle hand rest on his shoulder.

_Don't let him get to you, _Lucas said quietly. _He's only looking out for your best interests._

Breathing in deeply, Claus calmed himself and sank into the chair. "I can control my emotions," he said in a deathly quiet voice.

"To a small degree."

The room suddenly began to fizzle and pop with the smell of burning ozone.

"Here we go again," Ness muttered.

Claus suddenly bolted upright. Blue electricity fizzled and sparked around his fingers in a stormy cocoon. "Who are _you_ to decide how I _feel?_" he asked in a voice trembling with anger. "Do you have some personal vendetta against me? Like, why are you ALWAYS picking on _ME?!_"

For someone a thousandth of his size, BuzzBuzz looked impressively unfazed. "I'm not picking on you. I'm telling you a fact. How long do you think it took _me_ to master my own powers? How long do you think it took Ness? You are only but a mere fledgling, and it doesn't help that your powers stem directly from the mind AND heart. Your psychic powers, NOT JUST PK LOVE, are twice as easy to lose control of in the heat of emotion."

"And I _said_ that I could control my emotions!" Claus growled, balling his fists.

"Then it's settled." BuzzBuzz flitted upwards. His brown eyes looked cold and calculating. "I want to see you fight."

_Claus,_ Lucas tried to intervene._ Please don't say-_

"You want to see me fight?! OH, IT'S _ON!"_

Lucas buried his face into his hands.

In a surprising display of energy, Ness suddenly slammed his palms against the table. "Guys, let's be reasonable," he said sharply, revolving his head back and forth between the elder twin and the time traveler. "There's no need to fight over this."

"Hell yes, there is," Claus cut in, glaring daggers at his adversary. "Let's take this fight outside. I've had enough of enduring this crap."

BuzzBuzz met his glare square in the face. "Not against me. Against your brother."

Claus froze. "...What?"

The twins exchanged alarmed looks.

Noticing Lucas's equally shocked expression, BuzzBuzz's brown eyes melted by a fraction. "I've been meaning to teach you all some useful combat skills in the short time we have left," BuzzBuzz sighed, running a tiny hand through his helmet. "This is as good a time to start if anything."

"No. No, no, no, no. Hold on!" Claus blurted out, looking annoyed. "Why aren't _you_ fighting me yourself?"

"Because if you haven't noticed, Claus, I've been shrunk to the size of a bee!" BuzzBuzz flared up. "I'd prefer NOT to be squashed before my time, thank you very much! Besides, you won't just be fighting against your brother; everyone will be matched up against each other in an orderly fashion."

Ness narrowed his eyes. "How do we know that you're not trying to weaken us down for an ambush?"

"And...the trust issue. Right. Yeah, I _could_ tell you my real identity if I wanted to, but I _won't._ Blatantly telling you my name will only complicate my mission."

"More like a mission to double-cross us," Claus muttered.

"It sounds pathetic, I know. But trust me. Trust me to uphold to my word. If it'll make you feel better, since I can't fight, I'll heal each one of you after every match," BuzzBuzz said, stuffing his mouth with another piece of shrimp. "And as proficient as I am at PSI, I stand no match against any of you in one go. And if you wanted to squish me, then it wouldn't be too difficult to do so."

"Guys," Lucas mumbled, drawing all eyes to him. "I trust him."

As if on cue, Ninten made a move, dabbing his mouth with a napkin and gracefully rising up. "I trust him too," he said suddenly. Noticing their incredulous expressions, Ninten shot them all a sincere smile. "Anyone who likes puns is trustworthy. My sixth sense says so."

Claus rolled his eyes. "Right. I forgot about your "lack of common sense.""

Ninten grinned. "That's the one. Now who's with me?"

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

"No items, free for all. Any contestant can forfeit the match at any time. Surrendering or stepping over the boundary lines will automatically result in a loss."

"What boundary lines?" Claus demanded.

Gripping his fists, Ness's eyes flashed a deep, starry violet. "PK Fire!"

Magical purple flames ate through dead dirt, boxing its two opponents in before extinguishing themselves, carving deep burn marks into the soil. Ness appraised both opposing parties with a look. "These boundary lines."

"Oh."

"All attacks will be contained at the Alpha level. Any further may lead to fatal injury, and we _will_ jump in if you go overboard. Are we clear?"

"...Is this really necessary?" Lucas said meekly, silently pleading at Ness from the other side of the field. Wincing, the hatted boy helplessly shrugged back.

"That's exactly my question," Claus added, looking equally uncertain about the prospect of fighting his own brother.

"To learn how to work in a team, you have to become familiar with each of your fighting styles..._including_ your brother's," BuzzBuzz interrupted. "This is for your own good."

"Then why can't I fight Ness or Ninten first?" Claus scowled at the sidelines, and Ninten sheepishly raised his hands in a gesture of surrender.

BuzzBuzz crossed his arms. "We've already warmed up with you for the past hour. That should be sufficient practice for an even match. While I'm impressed that both of you aren't spewing powers all over the place, to be frankly put, the two of you are still complete newbs."

"Gee, thanks."

"You're improving rapidly. I wouldn't put it past either of you to take any of us down."

Claus paused, taken aback by the compliment. "...Oh. Uh, thank you?"

BuzzBuzz scowled. "Don't get lenient."

There it was again. Claus rolled his eyes, then steadied himself for the incoming match.

_Three_...

_Two_...

_One..._

"Begin!" Ness yelled, yanking an arm down.

Claus reluctantly looked up, and Lucas instantly tensed, waiting for him to make the first move. Yet none of them acted; for the next five minutes, the makeshift arena was filled with nothing but awkward silence.

Finally, Claus took the initiative and lunged, ozone crackling every time his feet made contact with the dirt. "PK Thunder!" Claus yelled, racing forward to deliver a dazzling strike of azure sparks.

Surprised out of his wits, Lucas instinctively reacted, flinching away from the lightning bolt with a shriek of alarm.

Instantly struck with worry, Claus frantically rushed forward. "LUCAS! Are you okay?"

"Yeah! You just caught me off-guard."

"Why did you scream?"

"I...I don't know..."

"I thought you were going to fight back, you dummy!"

"Sorry."

"Oh, who am I kidding. Lucas, I'm sorry. I should've-"

"No!_ I'm_ sorry-"

"STOP APOLOGIZING AND GET ON WITH THE PROGRAM!" BuzzBuzz roared. "In a serious battle, your opponents won't apologize! THEY. WILL. HURT. YOU!"

Jumping up in shock, Lucas clapped his hands, conjuring a glittering PK Shield, only to be shattered when Claus thrust out another PK Thunder. Again, Lucas repeated the process, summoning psychic barrier after psychic barrier as Claus knocked each one down, one after the other.

BuzzBuzz slapped a hand over his face. "Lucas, only shield when necessary! Lugging that giant hamster-ball of a thing around only costs you your speed and energy for other strategies you could be using! And Claus, your attack speed is as fast as my great grandma on a broken-down tricycle!"

Trying not to shield too much forced Lucas not to shield at all, and completely giving up on shielding altogether, Lucas ended up wildly tearing across the field, screaming his life out as Claus chased after him in hot pursuit. Cackling like a kleptomaniac, Claus recklessly shot out several lightning bolts in rapid succession, with each one obviously _just happening_ to miss his brother by a mile.

In short, it was a pathetic sight.

"This isn't going to work," Ninten finally said, laughing under his breath as Claus performed a slow, pitiful excuse of a tackle that missed Lucas by a whole three meters.

BuzzBuzz pinched the bridge of his nose. "I should've seen this coming."

"We've seen them fight for real before. They're amazingly capable for first-timers," Ness spoke, watching both twins, who, unable to keep straight faces at this point, promptly broke out laughing into the dirt. "They just need the right incentive. Claus has a point. You should've paired them up against one of us."

"I guess you're right. Plan B, it is." BuzzBuzz shot them both a look. "Ninten, Ness: show them how it's done."

Ness nodded seriously, hands bursting into violet flames.

Ninten winked once at his teammate before jumping lithely into the arena. "INTERCEPTION!" he yelled, cutting through the air with a spiraling aerial kick that slammed Lucas right into the ground.

"What the-" Claus managed to blurt out before an incoming fireball knocked the wind out of his stomach. Spitting out dirt, Claus popped his head back up, only to see Ness's unforgiving violet eyes gazing down at him. Glaring back, Claus scrambled sideways, bumping back-to-back into his brother.

"I th-thought this was supposed to be a one-on-one!" Lucas stammered.

"Not anymore." Ness grinned, delivering another sweeping kick that Lucas avoided in the nick of time.

"STOP GANGING UP ON MY BROTHER!" Claus snarled, lunging forward to kick Ness in the ankle.

But unlike their previous tussle in the snow, he had not expected Ness to be so quick. Spinning in a circle, Ness vanished in the blink of an eye, twisting around to _teleport_ right behind him. Igniting his hand in a quick swipe, Ness closed in for a blazing punch-

"PK Shield!"

Upon Lucas's cry, Claus flinched, hearing Ness's hand rebound off the well-timed bubble of PSI in a sharp _clang_. Catching Ness off-guard, Lucas tackled the capped boy away from his brother, where they continued tussling on the ground. But Lucas had clearly underestimated Ness's strength; as soon as his back skidded against the dirt, Ness wasted no time to wrap his legs around Lucas's torso. Despite his height disadvantage, Ness let loose a loud yell, suddenly flipping over and slamming the twin into the dirt. Badly winded, the impact left Lucas gasping for breath, and taking advantage of his disorientation, Ness wrestled him down, pinning his wrists to his sides.

Laughing violet eyes looked down into indignant blue. "...Hi."

Lucas sighed, not even bothering to try pushing the stronger boy off. "Why can't you go easy on us?"

Pulling back a sparking hand, Ness twisted his cocky grin into a positively _evil _smirk. "Because you're my best friend. Any last words?"

"PK Lo-"

Lucas gasped, doubling over as Ness struck him hard in the solar plexus with the palm of his hand. The mediocre blow was more pressure than pain, pushing all the air out of his lungs, but from the point of impact, violet sparks flew, sinking into muscle and bone, and under its tickling sensation, Lucas twitched, shuddering erratically from its effects...

With a draconian snarl, Claus protectively surged forward, only for Ninten to protect his fellow teammate with a PK shield. With Claus so easily distracted, Ninten quickly seized his chance to shine.

"Defense down! Defense down! Defense dow-"

"DAMN IT, NINTEN!" Claus roared, finally breaking down Ness's shield. "STOP SPAMMING DEFENSE DOWN!"

Ninten simply blew a raspberry. "What are you going to do about it? Screech at me?" he taunted, laughing as Claus shot another PK Thunder in his direction and beautifully missed.

_Fucking Ninten and his Pokemon puns!_

_...This isn't working,_ Lucas remarked unnecessarily, sliding face-up to a halt at Claus's feet. His limbs spasmed, a noticeable aftereffect of Ness's PK Paralysis. _We need a plan._

_Tell me about it. _Claus clenched his teeth as Ninten issued a LifeUp to Ness. _They're no slackers in teamwork._

_They've known each other for a while._

_But not as long as we have. _Claus glanced down at his brother. _They know that they can't take us out when we work together. That means-_

_They're trying to separate us._

_Like heck they will._ Claus issued a LifeUp and PK Healing of his own, healing Lucas's paralysis and boosting their health. _Ness is __the bigger threat. With all those assist buffs and offensive PSI, he's literally a massive tank. If we can just get MR. DEFENSE DOWN on his own-_

_Then we'll have to distract Ness and blast him out of the ring first, _Lucas finished, throwing Claus a side-glance. On the other side of the field, they could see Ness lunging forward, leaving Ninten away by a considerable distance - far enough to be in range of any extra stat boosts, yet close enough to offer help to the Podunk teen.

_He's trying to sandwich us in the middle of the arena, _Lucas realized.

Narrowing his eyes, Claus faced the incoming arrival._ Then let him._

Closing in between the gap, Ness dived forward, blasting a PK Rockin' that forced the twins to separate. Jazzy eighth notes crashed into the ground in heavy syllables, and as the fluorescent treble clef slammed an inch away from his toe, Claus purposely stumbled, pretending to lose his balance. Smirking, Ness turned around, lunging right at the ginger to finish the job-

And to Ness's surprise, Claus rolled _underneath_ him as Lucas shoved himself in the way, shooting out a stunning PK Flash that directly seared Ness's eyeballs in one go. Caught by sheer surprise, Ness gasped, dropping to the ground to claw at his face in pain. "OW! YOU CAN USE PK FLASH?!"

Lucas gave a sheepish grin. "I guess so," he affirmed, letting loose a PK Love that blasted Ness into the air. _Claus!_

_Got it. _Without thinking, Claus followed up the attack, his entire heel glowing with fluorescent-blue electricity. Charging up like a full battery, Claus kicked off the dirt, sending off a furious trail of hot sparks from his body.

"Haaah!" he yelled, spinning around to slam the flat of his foot straight into Ness's back.

Insta-kill. With a noisy _crack_ of thunder, branches of lightning quickly coursed through Ness's body, sending his jittering form plowing straight into the soil. Skidding to a halt outside the ring, Ness let out a strangled groan, painfully sitting upright to shake his poor retinas free of the epileptic lightshow. "That was unexpected."

"A win is still a win," BuzzBuzz said, allowing himself a small, but satisfied, smile. "Ness is out!"

Caught totally off-guard, Ninten yelped, involuntarily stepping back when Claus advanced like a hungry wildcat. "What?! NESS, YOU TRAITOR!"

"I DID ALL THE DIRTY WORK, YOU ASSIST SPAMMER!"

"That's right," Claus announced, narrowing his eyes. "Now it's TWO against ONE, Lawyer Boy. Don't even _think_ about spamming."

With a wide grin, Ninten flashed his teeth like a vampire - a believable feat, considering his deathly-pale skin, then swiftly leaped forward. "I'd like to see you stop me. Defense Dow-"

Claus quickly interrupted him by jabbing a fist towards his chest, and Ninten quickly danced around to parry the blow. Gripping a startled Claus by the wrists, Ninten twisted back, managing to hurl the taller boy onto the ground. Grunting as the wind escaped his lungs for the second time that day, Claus rolled again as Ninten advanced, only for the latter to utter a PK Shield to counter another flurry of beautiful blue hexagons. Never ceasing to be awed by the move, Claus reached out, catching a stray hexagon in his fingers, where it exploded against his skin like sparkling pixie-dust. Liquid adrenaline instantly coursed through his veins.

Was this another effect of PK Love? Instilling hope in its allies while striking despair into the hearts of its enemies?

It sure seemed like it. A strange weight seemed to cling onto Ninten's features, and the boy grimaced, struggling to cast his next spell.

...And if Giygas ever got a hold of this power...

If he ever got a hold of Lucas again...

_"We wouldn't want anything tragic to happen to brother dearest, would we?"_

Pinwheeling back to the present, Claus froze. Ozone began to pop and crackle in his ears.

"Claus...?" Lucas interrupted, clumsily blocking all of Ninten's blows with his arms. "What's wrong?"

Catching wind that something wasn't quite right, Ninten instantly lowered his guard. Good sportsmanship came first, and he held back his attacks, eyeing Claus's palms with a wary expression. "Claus, I think we've had enough for today. Let's take a break, all right?"

Steadying his shaking hands, Claus violently shook his head. "I don't need a break."

BuzzBuzz frowned. "Claus, step out of the ring."

Claus broke into a snarl. "I can still fight!"

"Young man, don't you _dare-"_

"PK THUNDER!"

But for some reason, the electricity wasn't listening to him, wasn't acting the way he wanted it to go...

With a look of dawning horror, Claus could only watch as a giant bolt of lightning shot out of his fingers, uncontrollably tearing across the clearing. In a split second of panic, Ninten reacted, hastily conjuring up a shield, and as the shield revolved around his palms, the crackling lightning struck off the spinning plane at an odd angle, careering right into the direction of a new victim. Ninten barely caught how the teen's eyes widened in terror before Claus was up and about, screaming out his brother's name.

Then with a deafening crack of thunder, everything exploded into smoky clouds of dust.

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

A wave of dirt exploded from the point of impact, and everyone closed their eyes, shielding themselves from the stinging blow of sand. Heart racing at an unhealthy speed, Claus froze, petrified and unsure of what he would see.

The dust cleared.

Trembling, yet unharmed, Lucas crouched low against the ground, shielding his face with his arms. There was a soft glow as a perfect PSI shield shattered into bits, and then a telltale glowing dot hovered into view...

"WHAT THE BLAZES WERE YOU THINKING?!"

Claus flinched backwards at the rebuke. "I didn't mean to..."

"I TOLD YOU TO STEP OUT OF THE RING FOR A REASON!" BuzzBuzz bellowed, gliding away from the downed twin. His heated expression was far from furious...it was absolutely _livid._ "Psychic powers are _dangerous._ Having them might boost your endurance, but they won't make you any less mortal. If you feel like your powers are slipping out of control, then the wise thing to do is forfeit the match, NOT CONTINUE IT! If I didn't intercept it on time, that PK Thunder _Omega_ could've hit your brother!"

_O...Omega?_

"...I didn't mean to." Claus gulped, staring at Lucas in a wide-eyed expression of fear and utter self-disgust. "I thought..."

"That's it. Time out. Go to the house and _sit_ _in the corner_."

"What?! But-"

"I don't care if it takes you an hour, and I don't care if it takes you a day, but don't even _think_ about walking out until you've learned how to calm yourself down. If you can't control your emotions, then so be it! You'll only end up hurting the people closest to you."

Claus stared at his hands, then back at his friends. Ness averted his eyes, refusing to meet his gaze. Ninten looked up, brown eyes welling with absolute guilt, and Lucas...

He couldn't tell what Lucas was thinking behind those twin blue orbs of his.

"Claus," Lucas began softly, reaching out for him. "It's okay..."

Filled with a horrible sense of shame, Claus did the only thing he could.

He turned and ran.

* * *

><p><span><strong>Author's Note:<strong>

**Guess who's *officially* an author now?**

**I recently co-authored a scientific work on octahedral Ruthenium metal catalysts. Awesome grad student is awesome. Anyways, all we have to do now is answer back to the first round of reviews, then wait until it's published. This really helps, because I'm doing another poster presentation on this stuff in April haha. **

**Also, thanks for being patient with waiting for me to recover from my terrible illness. I was mostly bedridden during Spring Break from a combination of muscle fatigue, sore throat, migraine, fever, and pink eye (wat). **

** I had a lot of fun surfing Youtube for suitable songs for this chapter. In case anyone is interested (nobody lol), here's a recap of these wonderful songs (* = personal recommendation):**

_**_-All by Myself _**_**by Eric Carmen **_**  
><strong>__**-Sexyback**_** b****y Justin Timberlake  
><strong>_**-Without You**_** by Harry Nilsson*  
><strong>_**-**_**_You can be King Again_ by Anonymous - from a Youtube AMV_ (scrapped from chapter)_**_******_

**A close competitor of _All by Myself_ was _You can be King Again** _I fell in love with the latter. But the title sounded too hopeful that I was forced to scrap it. Sorry :x**

**While I hope that my writing can stand well on its own, I will shamelessly encourage you to listen to _Without You__*_ and/or ****_You can be King Again** _****to get a better grip of the mood. Not required, but recommended. Think of it as a fun experience of angst for your ears. ;) **

**...Or you could ignore me and listen to all four songs for the heck on it. _Sexyback_ tho... U_U; dont say i didnt warn u**

**Onto your reviews!**

**Shimo no**** ko:** Haha, oh man, reading ahead in my drafts for future chapters, this story will get its darker..._darkest_ moments. ;) This is only the beginning. And lol, thanks; so far, I haven't been hit by another car again, so I guess that's a good sign if anything. :)

**Pollyannamother3:** You betcha, gurl! MORE SIBLING ANST AND YOU'D BEST BELIEVE IT ;D

**Guest****:** You're right; it begins. ;) Whoop whoop the hype is real!

**Connor****:** Haha thanks for the reassurance; I _click _more with writing the main four protags, so I couldn't tell if my side characters were relatable T_T I tried. And yep; you nailed it. Pokey was able to manipulate Claus's jealousy/overprotectiveness against Ness, and Claus went all Super Saiyan. XD

Speaking of long chapters, this chapter is 10k, and it was supposed to be longer. ^_^; But the shift in tone didn't match up in the same chapter, so I ended it on a more fitting note. Plus whenever I write Lucas/Claus brotherly fluff, I tend to go overboard. Dang it. CURSE MY LONGFIC ABILITIES. But I'm glad that you got a spooky impression on the poem; I wrote it myself and thought it was pretty crappy. Poetry aint my forte lmao

Yeah, Chapter 26 was the first appearance of Tony. He actually IS confirmed to be gay by Itoi, but the super-conservative mom was a special touch of my angst-ridden brain. :) The game never really state why he was sent to boarding school, and since he seemed pretty close to Jeff, I've always wondered if he ever had any family issues. And YES someone caught the gravity-waves reference! XD THE WORLD IS ENDING AHHHH

Raising the dead is indeed messy. And oh geez, when I thought the horror in your fic couldn't go any higher D: Forget about it; maybe you should rename your fic Rising Dead 2.0 or something haha

**Plushiepaw:** Heya, Plushie! Haha I LOVE writing different POVs too, because sometimes in movies and stuff I wonder what the other people are doing besides look incredibly badass on screen. B) And yep, you're be right; Pokey was able to twist Claus's jealousy/overprotectiveness against him. I think my problem with the previous chapter was that the characters didn't sound their age in the flashback :x In my head, Claus believed Orange Kid so quickly because (1) He acts first on his emotions before he thinks, (2) he was a kid and didn't know better, and (3) it was a long flashback and I wanted to cut it off there lmao

Ack, sorry about the confusion involving what had happened to Picky! DX I meant for the chapter to end in confusion and chaos...but I guess in terms of comprehension, it completely backfired on me. XD It's not one of my proudest scenes to date, and I wish I could've worked on it, because the emotional description there was...subpar. Sorry, I have failed thee. T_T But yeah, we'll investigate what happens to the Minch family in the future.

That's an interesting interpretation of the poem! I think you're like the only one who bothered to interpret it because it was so vague. XD Double fail. But I've always had a soft spot for poetry (even though I'm more of a "prose" person), and I tried my hand at it...I dunno if it worked though haha

**PSIBoy****:** Dude, you say that your review is short, but it's still a considerable length imo. ;) Thank you for reviewing this fic in the first place! I really appreciate the effort all my reviewers put into their reviews, because to hear SOMETHING back (verbal/emotional/critical responses) from my readers means a lot to me.

Yeah, the rest of the Arc III was practically background information to piggyback off on in Arc IV. I just tried my best to craft the side characters and make them their own people...but eh, I don't think it worked out as well as I hoped. XD But hey, we're back with the main four!

You wouldn't believe how much fun I had with Tony's personality. As a tribute, I based him off of a really good friend of mine in real life (who is also gay). And yeah, the slightly parallel similarities between Lloyd, Jeff and Tony vs. Lucas, Claus, and Ninten are probably because of my ineptitude to craft new personalities. XD

I'm not denying nor confirming, nuthin', boi. ;) And oh look, BuzzBuzz is Ninten. Who could've guessed? ;D But I would think that BuzzBuzz would already know about the time/space distortion issue during his little "debriefing" sessions from his friends back in the future, so the main four protags would need no further info of the same info that Jeff/Lloyd were able to deduce.

AND HOORAY FOR DYSTOPIAN FUTURES! We'll figure out more of BuzzBuzz's backstory in future chapters. :)

**SunnyStrikerz****: **Dude, as is my policy, I will neither deny nor confirm your claim. ;) But feels will definitely be involved. LOT OF FEELZ

**HelixConundrum:** Nope! You've missed nothing. :D Chapter 27 is just a prologue to foreshadow later events. ^_^; Sorry if I wasn't too clear about that!


	29. Chapter 29

_I sat, __pitifully rocking back and forth in the lonely corner like a mere child, and I thought. _

_I thought about my own debacle, my own crushing failure, my own coup de grace..._

_The nightmarish reality seized me first, jarring my mind with bloodthirsty monsters of the past. They howled, boiling my blood with chills, and I was eight again: a small, frightened coward, too foolish to have known, too caught up in my own folly to register the tragedy that was my brother lying limp in my cold arms._

_That day, I had sworn to become a better person._

_And things did get better. Lucas slowly began to peek out of his shy shell, and in turn, I learned how to trust others again. The change didn't come easily; I was still quite the intimidating character, hot-headed and aloof, but Lucas was happy, and his happiness quelled my doubts and made all the difference in the world. So foolishly, I indulged myself into thinking that the bristling, poisonous child of days yonder had all but gone._

_Five years later, another car accident would quickly prove me wrong. _

_I fell apart._

_Cursing and running away were the only things I was ever good for__. So __I cursed my own two hands for their existence. I cursed the weakness that I thought I had been bottled up long ago, a weakness which now threatened to shatter and quake my tormented soul._

_But cursing did nothing to __nurse my injured pride, and m__y guilt only grew._

_What must my brother think of me now?_

_And as I thought to myself, selfishly wishing for a happiness that felt all too ephemeral, a part of my aching heart withered and died._

* * *

><p>"Hey, it's me. Open the door."<p>

...

"No, I'm coming in alone."

...

"Yeah, just me. I swear it's just me. Nobody else."

...

"He's okay. You're the one we're all worried about."

Claus shook his head; they should not be worried about him. After all, he had been the one to cause trouble in the first place.

"Where does it hurt?"

His hands. His head. His heart.

Everywhere.

"Claus, open your palms. You'll irritate your burns."

He clenched his throbbing fingers tighter. The stinging sensation was a welcome reprieve; if he could just concentrate hard on the pain, then maybe he could forget about what had transpired back in the training arena.

Maybe.

"I mean it, let me-damn it! Relax your fingers, will you?"

Stubbornly, Claus crossed his arms, stuffing his hands into his armpits.

Ness threw him a bemused look, then mimicked his posture. "Look, if you don't want me to wrap them, then I can ask Lucas to drop in instead..."

The response was immediate: Furiously backpedaling, Claus accidentally banged his head into the wall. "No," he said quickly. "Don't call him in!"

Violet eyes, swirling with unspoken thoughts locked within, latched themselves onto the elder twin. Sighing, Ness silently unrolled the wad of bandages from his hands. "What happened back there?" he spoke, turning his eyes onto his hands.

"I don't know."

Carefully, Ness reached out to uncurl his fingers, and without a word, Claus let him. There was a sharp intake of breath.

"Claus..." Ness said weakly. "Is this...?"

"Yeah," Claus muttered, suddenly feeling rather self-conscious.

A spiderweb of burn marks glared back at them in a silent challenge. Several dark streaks twisted themselves in a striking tongue of scarred tissue, and if his skin hadn't been throbbing like hell, Claus admitted that the scars could probably pass for a pretty cool tattoo.

Shaking his head, Ness went to work. Picking up the first-aid kit, he accidentally brushed his against his elbow against a particularly sensitive spot, and Claus flinched, hissing in pain. Startled, Ness jerked back, pulling his arms away from inflamed skin.

"Sorry. Did I-"

"No, go on."

With strong, steady hands, Ness firmly looped the soft gauze around his injured skin. All the while, Claus kept his eyes trained on the ceiling, biting back another wince as pain stabbed through his veins.

"Does it hurt?"

Claus shook his head. "Not really," he lied, feeling like he had shoved his hands straight into a patch of thorns. "Just a little sore."

"I don't understand," Ness said quietly, applying the finishing touches to the makeshift cast. "You were doing really well. What triggered it?"

"Like I said, I don't know." Lucas's horrified expression swam past his eyes, and ashamed, Claus grimaced, dropping his eyes to the floor. "I kind of...lost control."

Ness paused, before resuming his Boy Scout duties. "Don't feel too bad about it. It happens to everyone."

"Even you?"

A flicker of unease passed Ness's eyes before it vanished. "I used to set things on fire."

Curious, Claus raptly listened, waiting for Ness to finish, but the latter didn't elaborate. As Ness finished his task, the weight of his frown diminished, and clumsily, he patted Claus's injured hands back into his lap.

"They should heal," Ness spoke. "But you shouldn't use your PSI for a while. It might re-open your scars."

Lifting his bandaged palms level to his eyes, Claus examined them in detached interest. Ness's handiwork was nothing extraordinary or intricate, but it got the job done. "How long will I have to wait?"

"A few days," Ninten chimed in, making both of them jump.

Claus relaxed, flickering his eyes to the door. "Where's Lucas?"

Ninten shrugged, making a funny wave towards the window. "He's outside talking with BuzzBuzz."

"You _ditched_ him?" Ness hissed, throwing Ninten a furious look. "What were you thinking, leaving him alone with a total stranger?!"

"Ness. He's literally _three feet away__,_" Ninten emphasized, looking slightly irritated. "Geez. Keep this up, Ness, and you'll turn into Overprotective Brother Number Two. Wait, my bad; you already are."

Ignoring the two sets of poisonous glares pricking his skin, Ninten rolled his eyes, then lazily sprawled back first onto the floor. _"Relax, _Ness. Giygas doesn't know we're here, and you've seen Lucas train today. PK Love is an OP tank-"

"I trust Lucas to look after himself," Ness interrupted in forced calm, gingerly turning Claus's cast over to study it with a fresh eye. "But I thought I told you to wait outside."

Ninten yawned, then stretched his arms."Didn't feel like it. I had a feeling that Claus was probably off drowning in his self-pity. So, naturally, I had to save the damsel in distress-"

"Buzz off."

"See? He's back! Already insulting me too." Ninten grinned cockily, but Claus caught the flicker of worry flashing through his hazel eyes. "But honest to god, Claus, don't use PSI for a while. It might inflame your injuries. That electrical charge you shot back there? Geez, talk about _intense."_

"Can't you heal me all the way?" Claus pleaded, extending out his palms.

Ninten and Ness shared a worried glance.

"It's not that simple," Ninten said, looking troubled. "Your PSI output was so sudden that it damaged some of the nerves in your hands. I could try speeding up the healing process, but because it's a PSI-inflicted wound, you should probably wait it out."

"Can't be much worse than it is now," Claus mumbled.

Hooking his calves on the couch pillows, Ninten's face fell at the despondent expression on the twin's face. "They hurt that much, huh?" he asked sympathetically.

"You wouldn't know the half of it," Claus said, shaking his head. He forced back another wince.

With a grunt of concentration, Ninten swung himself upright. "I can't heal your hands all the way, but I could probably heal you _some_. You're still going to have to lay it easy on the mind-blowing shenanigans though."

"Yes_, please,"_ Claus groaned. He was pleasantly surprised to realize how naturally he relied on his PSI. Without it, Claus felt utterly helpless; it was almost like he was missing an incredibly useful third hand. "Heal me."

Ninten's smirk widened. "Say the magic wor-"

"Damn it, Ninten!"

"That's the one!" Ninten said cheerfully, grasping his palms.

"Ow, not too tight!"

"Oh, you baby, you-"

"I will strangle you."

With a quick incantation, Ninten carefully released a tendril of magic in a lingering aura of sweet, exotic fruit, and Claus retracted his now slightly-less sore hands in relief. "Thanks."

Ness wrinkled his nose. "Nice job, but next time, I'd rather you leave the healing to me."

"What?" Ninten countered, flashing him another infuriating smirk. "Is someone bothered by the smell of-"

"I hate pineapple," Ness deadpanned.

"Puh-lease," Ninten said, dramatically gesturing into the air. Several sparks joyfully leaped out of his fingertips. "Pineapple smells amazing!"

Claus blinked, scrunching his eyebrows in confusion. "PK Healing smells like pineapple?"

"No, just mine," Ninten announced cheerfully. "It's apparently supposed to have a unique aroma depending on the user. For example, I've noticed that Ness's smells a lot like-"

_"Ninten,"_ Ness hissed, the back of his neck flushing a deep crimson. "Don't tell him-!_"_

"Jalapenos."

Mortified, Ness shoved Ninten in the face, and in response, Ninten elbowed him back. Amused by this revelation, Claus caved into a chuckle. "Really, Ness?"

"I like spicy food," Ness said, throwing the now howling pair a nasty look.

A thoughtful look flashed through Claus's face. "I wonder what mine smells like..."

Ninten's eyes widened. "Claus, don't-"

Stabbing pain coursed through his hands like hot brands, and Claus bit back a scream of pain before the sensation disappeared as quickly as it came. Hands shaking erratically, Claus rested his stinging palms against the cool floor. "O-Ow..."

Concerned, Ness followed his eyes. "Like we said, don't mess with your powers. You might seriously hurt yourself-"

As if on cue, Lucas into the room, looking panicked and disheveled. "Claus?" he said shakily. "What was that?"

_Oh crap. _Claus had forgotten about their empathy link.

The playful atmosphere quickly dissipated, leaving horrible, sinking silence in its wake.

"It was nothing," Claus muttered, averting his eyes. "Are you...?"

"I'm fine." Lucas winced, shooting Claus a look of worry. "But you felt like you were in a lot of pain-"

"He can't use PSI with his hands for a while. Fried a couple of nerves in his fingers." Ness said grimly, shooting the elder twin a stern look that said _Don't Even Try_.

Not that Claus wanted to try. Claus was many things, but he was certainly not a masochist.

Lucas paled. "Oh..."

"It's not permanent," Claus said quickly.

But with a look of genuine worry, Lucas took a step forward. "At least let me heal your-"

"NO! DON'T HEAL ME!" Alarm shot through his Claus's mind like a hot knife, and as if scalded, he hastily scooted back, stuffing his palms out of sight.

"Yeah, Lucas. His hands need to be healed naturally," Ninten quipped, eyeing Claus warily from where he had accidentally tripped onto the floor. "They looked pretty bad actually. You wouldn't want to see them."

Lucas slowly trailed his eyes onto his brother. "Claus," he said softly. "Let me see your hands-"

"Stay right where you are."

"But your hands..."

"DAMN IT, Lucas! I said, _stay away!"_

A flicker of hurt passed through Lucas's eyes, but obediently, he stepped back, raising both hands in a gesture of surrender. "I just want to see your palms," he said quietly. "It won't take long. A few seconds."

However, his words did little to placate his rattled brother. Claus couldn't let Lucas see his injuries. Lucas would stick to his side like glue until he was satisfied with his brother's health.

But if something were to trigger his PSI again, and he lost control...

Claus's breath hitched in his throat.

No, he couldn't let that happen.

Not again.

Meeting his brother's hopeful eyes, Claus swallowed hard, trying not to feel guilty about what he was about to do next. "I don't need your help, Lucas. Go away."

"Okay, I won't do anything," Lucas promised, quickly catching onto his brother's discomfort. "His hands still look inflamed. Ninten, could you run and get more gauze?"

"That's not what I meant." Claus's expression hardened. "Leave. Now."

"Oh. Well...I guess I can stay right outside if I'm making you feel uncomfortable," Lucas offered gently. "Just let me know if you need me-"

"You don't get it, do you?" Claus snapped. "Lucas, for the last time, I said I didn't need your help!"

There was a tense pause.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to bother you." Lucas's voice sounded so quiet that Claus felt his heart loudly rip into two. "I'll get going now."

"What the hell, Claus? It won't kill him to help-"

"Don't interrupt me, Ness. Lucas, don't make me tell you twice. Leave."

"Claus, _please_," Lucas begged. "It was an accident. You won't do it again; I know you won't-"

"You don't know that. None of you do," Claus said shakily, a wild desperation blazing in his eyes. It killed to him to watch the pain-stricken expression on Lucas's face, but he knew it had to be done. "So LEAVE ME ALONE, or I swear, Lucas, if that's what it really takes, I will zap you _on purpose."_

"You wouldn't."

Claus locked eyes with him. "Try me."

There was another awkward silence.

Finally mustering up the last ounce of his courage, Claus hesitantly trailed his eyes upward, curious of his brother's expression. But this time, it was Lucas's turn to avert his eyes, training them blankly onto the floor. There was a strange look in the younger twin's blue irises, a distant one that Claus couldn't identify.

Then to his surprise, Lucas spun on his heel and left without another sound.

Equally stunned by his uncharacteristic behavior, Ninten stared after him. "Talk about giving the cold shoulder. That was kind of harsh, even for you, Claus...I mean, he only wanted to help..."

"Then he can help by avoiding me," Claus said coldly. "He's good at that."

Ness winced. "Okay, so maybe Lucas has been acting a little off-character today, but he's not flat-out _ignoring you._ That was a low blow."

A deep frown creased Ninten's forehead. "Even before BuzzBuzz's debriefing at breakfast, he seemed really distracted, like he was fretting over something else. I wonder what's been on in his mind lately...but I doubt it's anything serious!" he added hastily, noticing the depressed look on Claus's face. "He's probably really upset that you got yourself injured. You were pretty mean to him, you know. I think you should apologize."

Claus didn't bother giving a response, and instead, tried to ignore the terrible, shrinking feeling inside his gut.

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

BuzzBuzz dropped by a short while later.

Needless to say, it was expected. The confrontation was bound to happen sooner or later; yet that thought did nothing to quell his feeling of deep dread. Uncharacteristically meek and unprepared, Claus braced himself for the explosion to come, only to be caught off-guard at BuzzBuzz's subdued tone.

"I'm sorry."

Claus could only stare at time traveler in disbelief.

BuzzBuzz coughed, a strange sallowness visible in his cheeks. He looked positively ill; yet as usual, it was he who first initiated contact. "How are you feeling?"

"Never better," Claus said wryly, wiggling his bandaged fingers. "You could use some rest yourself."

"No, I'm afraid that this is a condition I've had as a child." Another breathless cough. "However, it is neither malignant, nor contagious, so it should not be much concern. Do excuse me."

Claus eyed him, involuntarily betraying a sliver of worry. "You don't sound too good."

"Don't distract yourself with my health. It will not matter soon."

Claus opened his mouth, wanting to argue otherwise, but the look in BuzzBuzz's eyes made him hesitate: a hidden knowledge that spoke volumes of his certainty. Somehow knowing that he could not alleviate his condition, Claus slowly closed his mouth.

Apparently, he was not the only one preoccupied with the maladies of flesh.

"It's not normal to damage all these nerves in one go." Deep concern filled the tine-traveler's tone. "Did I heal you yet?"

"No. Ninten did though, a couple of hours back."

BuzzBuzz paused, as if realizing a mistake, then resumed speaking. "Your hands still look inflamed. Spread them out for me."

Dutifully, Claus did as told, internally grimacing at the blotchy scars in his palm. "It looks worse than it feels."

An inexplicably soft force washed over his screaming nerves, noticeably dulling the pain. Curiously, Claus got a whiff of something familiarly sweet before the scent disappeared. He soon realized that BuzzBuzz was still speaking to him; Claus quickly paid attention, hoping that he had not missed much of his debriefing.

"-must've been quite a fright for you. Forgive me. We're running short on time, and it's made me grow inconsiderate about your feelings."

"It's okay. I should've listened to you," Claus said tiredly; he didn't feel like elaborating further.

"No, it's not okay. Perhaps, Claus...as much as I hate to say it, I think-Damn it!" BuzzBuzz cursed, resting a hand on his forehead in frustration; for a second, he flickered wildly, alarming the other, but he quickly filtered back into shape.

"What was that?"

"A grievous inconvenience from time travel," BuzzBuzz grunted, adjusting his helmet. "Nothing to worry about. Now where was I...Oh yes. Claus, your injury might have been a welcome interruption in the course of events."

Claus blinked, feeling a growing sense of foreboding in his throat. "What do you mean?" he said slowly, filled with growing trepidation.

"What I mean to say is..." BuzzBuzz let out a loud exhale. "I think it's best if you don't use your powers until the end of this trip."

Disbelief forced Claus to forgo caution. "Why not?" he blurted out, hastily rising to his feet. "BuzzBuzz, my injury isn't permanent-"

"Given our time crunch and also our previous..._disagreements_...with one another, I think that it's for the best."

"So what you're saying is...?"

BuzzBuzz refused to meet his eyes. "I won't train you, Claus."

"You can't do this!" Claus said desperately. "I know I've been a prick, but I swear I won't pick a fight with you on purpose! I-I _need_ this BuzzBuzz! I can't afford to screw up again!"

"This has nothing to do with you personally, or about me giving you another chance. I thought too far ahead of myself. I started off on a bad footing with you, and as much as I want to teach you, your personal distrust towards me will take time to heal. Additionally, your powers are too sensitive to your emotions. Simply put, I'm just not a good instructor for you. We're not good for each other."

"What if I explode again?" Claus added, silently pleading with helpless eyes. "What if I hurt someone? I'll need your guidance!"

"You don't need my guidance. Don't use your powers, and you won't hurt anyone. Trust your friends and your brother; they'll be with you for as long as you need them."

"BuzzBuzz-"

"I'm sorry, Claus."

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

Silverware clattered and clinked.

The tension around the dinner table was almost palpable that Ninten could slice it with a butter knife. Trying to ignore the stony look on Claus's face, Ninten buttered his third slice of toast, then chewed on it noisily.

It was just the four of them in the mess hall; BuzzBuzz had mysteriously fallen ill again, consumed by a migraine, and with a polite word or two, excused himself into the care of Dr. Saturn.

Sitting across from each other, the twins ate their food with averted eyes. Claus was especially quiet, surprisingly devoid of any sarcasm, and Lucas would shoot him careful looks every now and then, opening his mouth as if to speak. But when Claus showed no signs of wanting to reciprocate, Lucas lowered his head, and despondently began picking at his food.

Ninten shot a quick side-glance to Ness, hoping that the older boy would catch his drift and say something to dissipate the tension. But Ness was absentmindedly staring at the steak on his plate with a glazed look in his eyes; he must be feeling homesick again.

That meant Ninten had to sort things out on his own.

Again.

With a light groan, Ninten pushed his chair away from the table. _Claus, this is madness. You can't ignore Lucas forever._

_I can, and I will._

_I hate to burst your bubble, but_ _no. It's__ not going to work._

_No, it will, _came the surly response. _Just you wait and see._

Ninten stabbed at a mashed potato. _You are acting really immaturely for your age._

Claus stiffened up, throwing him one of his trademark icy glares. _Speak for yourself._

_I am younger than you, dumbass._

_Ninten, buzz off. It's for his own good._

"That's it," Ninten broke out abruptly, eyeing both twins with a glare of his own. "I don't care if you two aren't talking. You are _now_."

"What the hell-" Claus began.

"No, this has been going on for too long!" Ninten spat, jabbing his fork in his direction. "You're both clearly hurting inside, so make up, and get it over with."

Both twins shot each other uncertain glances, then grimacing, looked away.

"Stop acting like there's something going on between us!" Claus shot back, surveying Ninten with a rather unhappy look. "The only person who's throwing a hissy fit is you!"

"That's 'cause we can't afford to slip up! Giygas could catch us off guard at any minute, and we need to be ready!" Ninten shouted, stabbing his fork into the table. With a dull _thunk_ of wood, it was left, quivering like a porcupine. "The longer you two stay like this, the easier he can exploit us!"

An unpleasant noise exploded against their ears: Claus had slammed his palms onto the table. "Well, if Giygas attacks, we'll work together, okay? We know what we're doing, so leave us alone!"

The silverware began to rattle loudly from disturbed clairvoyance, floating dangerously in a wobbly line.

Sensing the blatant tension in the air, Lucas uncomfortably shrank away from the table. "I'm turning in for the night," he said quietly, rising up. "See you in the morning."

Caught by surprise, Claus knitted his features into a small frown. "You haven't even touched your food-"

But Lucas was already long gone.

Claus stared down at his plate.

"I'm not hungry," he announced bluntly.

Ninten looked torn. "Claus-"

"Stay. I'll head out."

"But-"

Dropping his fork onto the table, the elder twin silently brushed past him like a forgotten spirit.

As if finally realizing that there had been a problem, Ness snapped back into reality, blinking in confusion at the two empty seats in front of him. "Where did everyone go?"

"Some help you are," Ninten said, rolling his eyes, and for once, Ness had the chagrin to look embarrassed.

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

They were so similar, yet so different.

Bony ridges decorated his heated hands. Claus slowly turned his palms over, surveying his scarred fingers with an expressionless features on his face. His reflection contorted into a mirrored look of disgust before it violently vanished with a ear-shattering _splash_, sending broken ripples scattering across the icy pond.

Lucas's hands were soft. They were cool, but not overwhelmingly so and felt pleasantly refreshing to the touch. Lucas's hands had that secret magic that could make anyone feel wonderful inside, like he was pouring out all the warmth through his fingers. They promised of happiness and healing, of better times lying under the summer sun catching raindrops on your tongue.

But _his_ hands inflicted nothing but danger and destruction. _His_ knuckles bit and scalded anyone they touched, causing the tears and curses of countless many.

The pebble skidded across the smooth, glassy surface before it sank in a disturbed flurry of bubbles.

_Splosh, splosh, splosh._

Again, his fingers curled around another rough stone, and he raised his fist to hurl it as far as he could-

_Splosh, splosh, splosh, splosh, splosh._

Someone else had already beaten him to it.

"I know what you're thinking, Claus. Don't do it."

"I wasn't going to do it."

"Running away?"

Ninten's words had struck a particularly sore spot in him. Taken aback, Claus threw him an intensely poisonous glare that would've burned holes in any other person, then bared his teeth - a defensive maneuver, Ninten noticed. "Fuck you-"

"No, I'm sick and tired of you blaming yourself for everything!" Ninten suddenly snapped, standing in front of him and forcing the elder twin to reluctantly look into his eyes. "Damn it, Claus! See, this is your problem! You either lash out or run away, and when that doesn't work, you crumble and explode! How long are you planning to drag this out?!"

Claus shifted his gaze to the water. "For however long I have to."

"Apologize to Lucas."

"No."

Ninten's eyes glowed a starling amber. Several tones of earthy red flickered in blatant displeasure. "Maybe I am wrong about you. You really are an asshole."

Claus flinched. "It's for his own good," he said lamely.

Ninten looked terribly unimpressed. "I'm sure it is."

"Do you think I enjoy doing this?" Claus blurted out, wringing his hands in desperation. "Ninten, I could've _killed_ him today. _KILLED_. I'm dangerous. But Lucas doesn't get that. He needs to keep his fucking distance from me, Ninten, and if he won't listen, then I'll have no choice but to _make _him. You gotta understand, Ninten. I need to protect him-"

Ninten's laugh resounded mockingly in his ears. "By being a Grade A asshole?"

The unexpected psychic assault smacked Ninten hard in the chest, sending the younger boy flying head-first into a tree. The impact violently buffeted all air out of his lungs; Ninten gave a sharp gasp before slumping into a dead heap. Confusion quickly shifting to horror, Claus looked down at his palms, which were flickering a bright blue.

"Ninten! Shit!"

Desperate hands hoisted the dazed boy by the collar, and Ninten dumbly looked up into his friend's eyes. The fall must have knocked some strange thoughts into his head, but up close, Claus's eyes looked - for lack of a better phrase - _alive._

They looked human.

Ninten was vaguely brought back to Earth by the sharp scent of cinnamon and a hiss of pain. The telltale green glow of PK Healing faded from Claus's hands in a shimmering wisp, and suddenly Ninten's mind cleared.

"Ninten! Answer me! OREOS! Earth to Ninten!"

Resorting to desperate measures, Claus slapped his cheek with his still-stinging hands. For a second, Ninten looked at him so blankly that Claus was afraid that he had knocked him unconscious again.

Then the Podunk teen blinked. "Ouch."

Claus peered down at him anxiously. "Are you awake?"

"No, I'm asleep," Ninten responded sarcastically, exaggerating a loud snore.

Claus punched him in the shoulder. "Ass."

Ninten broke out into a round of mad giggles. "Who are you calling an ass, asshole?"

"Stop goofing around! You seriously worried me back there-"

"Woah. I _worried_ you?" Ninten dropped his jaw in sheer disbelief, then burst out laughing much to Claus's humiliation. "Awww, so you really _do_ care-"

"I thought I knocked you out!"

"-and here I was, thinking you were a heartless prick all along."

"Shut up."

"You shut up."

"No, _you_ shut up."

"Oh, yeah?"

_"Yeah._ I said it first!"

"First is the worst, second is the best; don't you know how to count, loser?"

Ignoring him, Claus poked his face with clammy fingers as if searching for a bruise, and with a grimace, Ninten slapped them off. "Calm your shit. I'm okay."

Clearly rattled, Claus froze. With a carefulness that was quite uncharacteristic of him, Claus slowly backed away like a wounded animal, all the time keeping his eyes glued on his best friend. Ninten caught his breaking composure.

Claus was afraid of hurting him.

Ninten swallowed hard, eyeing Claus's shaking hands. Claus didn't often show it, but hell, Ninten knew how much he _hated_ harming people he loved. And whenever Claus did, it drew out a show of weakness he seldom showed to even his own brother.

With an audible gulp, panicked blue eyes darted to the left, but Ninten cut in before Claus could bolt.

"I've been there before, Claus. Running away. It won't help." Ninten's voice had turned awfully quiet. "I would know that. _You_ would know that."

As if he had turned on a switch, Claus had gone rather still. When the twin finally spoke, he did so without turning around. "Your head…Are you…?"

"Yes, my head kissed a tree headfirst and I'm feeling dandy. Well, no duh, it hurt!" Ninten spat indignantly, pointing at the fading bruise on his temple. "But worst case scenario, I'll have a bloody lump on my bloody forehead! I'm still alive! Claus, there's no need to over-react; I mean, really, you act like you accidentally _killed_ me or somethi-"

Ninten suddenly halted, eyes filling with realization. "Well, shit."

Claus purposely averted his eyes, forcing himself not to look at him. "See what I mean? I'm dangerous. There's no telling _what_ I'll do next, or _who_ I'll hurt next," he croaked, drawing back within himself. "I promise I won't run away, okay? I wouldn't do that to Lucas or…or to any of you. But from now on, you all need to keep your distance from me-"

Claus suddenly flinched, cut off by the feel of warm fingers curling around his palm. He tensed, muscles locked into place, then narrowed his eyes into a pair of frightening blue slits.

"What are you doing?"

Ninten slowly met his gaze with serious brown eyes. "Like Lucas said, it's okay. We trust you. You won't hurt us."

In response, the Podunk teen got a faceful of bared teeth. "NINTEN. I'M SERIOUS. Cut it out!"

"Calm down, dude. Just breathe-"

"D-Don't." Claus's voice wavered; his thin, lanky shoulders were madly shaking like a leaf - fragile and weak. "Don't do this to me, Ninten. Let go-"

"It's okay. Look."

But the few seconds of contact must've been too much for Claus to handle, because he ripped his hand out of his grasp, then bristling, retreated to the far side of the shady oak.

"Yeah, I'm _looking,_ all right!" Claus snapped in a wounded tone. "Back off. The next thing I want is BuzzBuzz flying around, yelling at me for electrocuting innocent bystanders-"

"For the last time, I'm all right, you prat! My god, you're a noble-headed idiot." Claus flinched again, but Ninten ignored him, continuing on with his spiel. Pity laced his brown eyes. "You won't hurt me. I _know_ you, Claus. Sometimes you act like a huge jerk and grind our egos to dust, but you're not a bad person. You're an asshole, but you're not a bad person."

Something seemed to break in Claus, and he slid onto his knees, trembling all the while.

"This has dragged on long enough, don't you think?" Ninten said softly. "Come on, man. Don't waste your time freezing your butt out here."

_Splosh, splosh._

Memories from this morning flooded back into his head, and with a sickening lurch, Claus buried his head into his hands. "It was an accident."

"I know."

"_I'm_ an accident."

"Don't say that," Ninten said rather sharply, stunning Claus with his tone. "PSI is difficult to control."

"Tell that to Lucas. He's perfect at everything."

"You can't be better than him at everything, you know."

Tossing his head back, Claus let loose bark of mirthless laughter. His teeth flashed once in the dark; bitter and feral. "It's not about that."

"Then what's it about now?" Ninten challenged, looking him straight in the eye. "Are you mad because he's finally better than you at something?"

"No!"

"Really? Because that's what it sounds like to me."

Claus finally turned around; overwhelming heat burned from his eyes. "I'm mad," he admitted, clenching his teeth. "But I'm mad at _myself_. Look at me, Ninten! What am I doing here? I'm dragging us all down. I'm a liability, a dud, a living bomb, all because I can't control my goddamn feelings! Hell, I can't even use PSI anymore!" he yelled, dangling his flopping hands uselessly into the air. "How can I be of any help to anyone now?!"

Angrily, Claus tossed a pebble into the water. It skipped a few beats, then sank with a small plop.

Following suit, Ninten crouched next to him, then chucked a rock of his own.

_Splosh. Splosh. Splosh._

With a fizz of bubbles, the pebble sank like a stone.

"Give yourself more credit. Lucas probably has a better grip on his emotions because of _you._ He's always had you to stand up for him. Having you probably mellowed him out, you know." Ninten trailed off, fiddling with his cap. "I saw him on my way here. He was looking for you."

"I was here the entire time. He never stopped by."

Ninten frowned. "That's weird. I would've thought...nevermind."

An unpleasant feeling bubbled in Claus's stomach. Lingering suspicion had finally turned into reality: Lucas was finally avoiding him.

"He probably couldn't find you, that's all," Ninten said, trying to keep his spirits up. "Or maybe he thought you were back in the village."

"Right."

There was a pregnant pause.

Wordlessly, Claus picked up another stone, rolling it between his fingers. "Ninten?"

"Yeah?" Ninten responded, studying his features, but he couldn't make out Claus's expression in the dark.

"Do all psychics dream of the future?"

Surprised, Ninten backpedaled, clutching the bark for support. "Well...not all dreams...but usually, they tend to have some sort of truth in them. Why do you ask?"

The dark silhouette shifted. "No reason," Claus mumbled, fiddling with his shirt. His fingers anxiously clawed at the cloth over his heart.

"Uh-huh."

"Sod off."

Ninten laughed, then sheepishly rubbed his head. "Whenever I nap or sleep nowadays, I've been getting dreams more about my uncle," he admitted, scratching his head. "Giygas either tells me all these cryptic warnings, or wants me to run home. Other times, I see memories of his childhood. He really did love my great grandmother...and I wish I'd known that sooner. Because every time I talk to him now, he starts feeling less and less...relateable. Sometimes he doesn't even recognize me. I think he hates me, because I look a lot like George."

Uncertain, Claus didn't seem to know what to say. "...That's terrible," he finally said.

"It's okay. It's not like I knew him really well. Honestly, I doubt he ever liked me from the start, and..." Ninten trailed off, then coughed into his hand, instinctively digging out an inhaler with the other. After a couple of puffs, his breathing evened. "Hey, Claus. I forgot to bring it up earlier, but yeah...I'm sorry."

Claus didn't even bother turning around. "If this is another guilt trip about you feeling responsible for what your uncle's done, then don't even think about it," he droned monotonously.

"No, I mean, about what happened today."

Oh.

_That._

Claus shifted his gaze onto the ground. "I shot the thunderbolt."

"But I reflected it," Ninten admitted. His face knitted into a deep frown, and the younger boy looked incredibly guilty. "If BuzzBuzz hadn't stepped in on time, Lucas would've gotten hurt because of _me. _I think it wasn't fair for him to just explode at you."

An internal wave of remorse flooded over him, emotion so intense and painful that Claus briefly distanced himself from Ninten's mind. "Don't be stupid," he muttered quietly. "It's not your fault."

"I guess," Ninten said, even though he sounded far from convinced. "Well, BuzzBuzz was also looking for you earlier. Probably to apologize too."

"Yeah, I know. He stopped by and healed my hands." Claus threw him a side-glance. "How was training?"

"Good. Well..." Ninten rolled a pebble between his fingers. "Yeah, right after you left, we kinda stopped. Lucas wasn't happy that BuzzBuzz sent you running. You should've seen his face. I can't really explain, but he gave BuzzBuzz this..._lo__ok, _then walked off without saying a single word. And BuzzBuzz didn't do _shit._ He got all quiet after you left...you know, I think he really does feel bad about yelling at you."

"I don't care." Claus's voice turned pained. "This isn't just about BuzzBuzz anymore. He's right. I obviously can't control my powers. I can't tell when they'll explode out of me, and I can't risk hurting any of you again-"

"Again, stop it_,"_ Ninten said casually, crossing his arms. "Trust me; you're not some freakshow, and it's actually normal for something like this to happen."

"...Really?"

_"Yeah._ Do you really think Ness and I turned into PSI masters overnight? Psssh, no. When I first got my powers, my sisters learned not to startle me because I'd explode every lightbulb in a five foot radius. And Ness told me that he would spontaneously combust into flames every time he got a nightmare."

Claus winced. "How did his mom not notice _that_?"

Ninten frowned. "I don't know. Well for starters, he said that he didn't burn anything down. It was more like an intense light than _heat,_ I guess, but I'd be freaked out if I woke up glowing like a Christmas tree."

"Oh." Now Claus felt stupid for running away. "I didn't know."

"Of course, you didn't know! You _couldn't _have known, dang it! Claus, losing control is _perfectly normal_." Ninten waved his arms, looking exasperated. "The only reason BuzzBuzz grilled you was because you didn't listen when he advised you to stay put. So come back, please?"

"..."

Brown eyes softened in sympathy. "He knows you didn't mean it. Don't leave him hanging."

For a long moment, there was simply silence. But with a long suffering sigh, Claus pushed himself onto his feet.

"About time!" Ninten cheered, punching the air. "I knew you had it in you!"

Exasperated, Claus narrowed his eyes, but even he couldn't hide his lips curling slightly in amusement. "I'm not going back yet. Just stretching."

"Douche."

This time, Claus couldn't resist a snort. "Where the fuck did _that_ come from?!"

"Outta nowhere." Ninten gave him a slow, lopsided grin, and it was so like him to flash his sly trademark smile that Claus felt his heart warm up inside, almost like they were back home, sneaking out at midnight on yet another trip to Frank's burger joint. With his goofy, air-headed nature, Ninten didn't seem very rebellious, but Claus knew that his casual attitude, while genuine, was also a facade. With such uptight, wealthy parents who fussed over his health to the nearest pinky, Ninten wanted breathing space. He _needed_ breathing space. As the eldest son in the family, they held high expectations for him, and whenever he failed to reach them by a millimeter, it was hefty disappointment doled all around.

Small wonder why Ninten called at god-awful hours to hang.

Said teen must've been thinking the same thing, because his hazel eyes lifted up considerably. "Frank's place, next time?"

"Again?"

"Two Happy Happy Meals."

Claus shuddered. "I'll stick with just the hamburger, thanks."

"Vanilla milkshakes?"

"And large fries."

"All on me!"

"Deal."

"But I take shotgun!"

"You always take shotgun."

"That's because _someone_ needs to drive us there, and you're the only one with a driver's license."

Claus snorted, flicking his ginger hair out of his face. "I'm fine with whatever; just as long as _you're_ not the one driving."

"If only Giygas was here!" Ninten laughed. "Look at you! You'd be so easy to bribe; see, if _I_ were working for the Dark Side, I'd have you recruited in a jiffy-"

_"_It's free food," Claus said, tossing him a disgruntled look. "I'll take it, anytime, hands down."

They were interrupted by an awkward clearing of the throat. All eyes flickered to the back towards a familiar silhouette.

"BuzzBuzz was looking for you earlier," Ness said, gaze flitting first over Ninten before resting on Claus. "Did he find you?"

"He did," Claus said, feeling like a tape-recorder on repeat. "Not now though; a few hours back."

Ness nodded. "Don't stay out here for too long," he warned. "BuzzBuzz isn't taking watch today, so I think we should stay up tonight. Do shifts. Maybe check out what they have in the store and stock up on supplies. You guys want to tag along?"

"We'll be down in a sec," Ninten said, cheerfully waving his friend off. "Go ahead. We'll catch up."

Ness paused, looking like he wanted to say more, but thought better of it, quietly retreating from the foliage.

Ninten rolled his eyes with a smirk, motioning in the direction Ness had disappeared with a gesture from his hands, and mouthed, _Goody two-shoes_.

But Claus didn't laugh; if anything, Ness's presence reminded him of the reception he had yet to face. An uneasy feeling roiled in his gut, but as if reading his thoughts, Ninten punched his shoulder.

"Stop it. I'm sure Lucas already forgives you," Ninten said, smacking him gently on the shoulder. "I swear, when it comes to deprecating your self-worth, you're almost as bad as Lloyd. Geez, who would've ever guesse-"

Claus shoved him in the shoulder, and with a cry of disbelief, Ninten fell right onto his rear.

"Ow! What the fuck, man?!"

"You asked for it," Claus smirked, reaching out a hand. Eyebrow cocked, Ninten quickly leaped to his feet, wordlessly gesturing at his injured palms, and sinking in realization, Claus uncertainly shoved them back into his pockets. With a crunch of crisp leaves, Claus breathed out, a wisp of smoke curling out of his lips, then slowly rose, resting against a nearby tree. "Well, I'm out."

"You're leaving?!"

"Like I said, just for a walk."

"You've gone mental."

Claus shrugged. "I do this at home sometimes. We live far from the city, remember? There's a small forest in the back. I know how to handle wild animals."

"Not in this weather." Ninten looked nonplussed. "You'll freeze! Well, I guess your PSI should keep you warm for a while...maybe a day...but that's beside the point! And Lucas-"

"Make up some excuse if he asks. I won't be gone for long, I swear."

Suddenly, Ninten turned rather quiet, pursing his lips into a thin line. "Claus, I've known you for a while, and I don't think you...Don't do anything stupid, all right?"

Claus shot him a wry look, then waggled his hands in mid-air. "News flash: I can't use PSI. I won't stray too far from camp. Cover for me while I'm gone, will you?"

Ninten eyed him carefully, then let out a defeated sigh. "One hour. If you're back by then...then I'll swear that I saw and heard nothing."

"Deal."

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

"...Lucas?"

When he got no response, Claus hesitantly poked his head in. The sight that awaited him left a small smile of relief lingering on his lips; he hadn't need to use the rehearsed script in his arsenal.

Lucas was curled up on the floor. He was fast asleep, finally tuckered out from the emotional and physical trials of the day. If possible, he looked younger; seemingly vulnerable and child-like without the burden of his thoughts.

Gently curling his arms underneath his form, Claus carefully lifted him up into a more comfortable position onto the couch. Emitting a small sigh, Lucas frowned, uneasily shifting around in discomfort until Claus hesitantly approached his side. As if sensing his presence, Lucas's shoulders relaxed.

With a soft finger, Claus tucked a stray strand of blond hair behind his ears. "Hey. I'll be out to steal some fresh air, okay?" he whispered, watching his brother with attentive eyes. "You stay here and catch some Z's."

Of course, the deep sleeper his brother was, Lucas said nothing, only breathing in and out, calm and slow. Surprised by how peaceful his younger brother looked, Claus could only stand and stare in concern, watching the steady rise and fall of his chest. Hoping that no nightmares plagued his dreams tonight, Claus risked a peek into his brother's mind, only to withdraw quickly with a heavy heart.

A carefully-packed picnic basket. Bright yellow sunflower fields.

Lucas was dreaming about their mother.

A bittersweet pang flooded his mouth.

"Don't you worry, Lucas. Mom and dad aren't here, but I'll keep you safe. I'm gonna get strong." Struggling not to let his voice crack, Claus slowly retreated backwards. "I'm gonna get stronger. I'm gonna get so strong that nothing won't stand a chance against me. Lucas...I..."

Snapping his mouth shut, Claus whipped around, disappearing into the snowy night.

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

.

.

The cold wind bit into his cheeks.

Colder still was the truth he refused to admit.

Claus wasn't unintelligent. He was used to things coming naturally to him without trying. He caught concepts in the snap of a finger, brushed off homework like it was as easy as counting one, two, three.

But for the first time, he was failing. He was _failing_ to do the one thing his brother had succeeded in. Somehow, Lucas had managed to learn PSI without batting an eye, and here Claus was, struggling to let out even a small spark of magic.

PSI was _illogical_.

How was he supposed to achieve something by "feeling for it?"

As much as he felt proud for his brother…Claus couldn't deny the nagging sense of jealousy in his simmering mind. Like a restless monster, it reared up, roaring its discontent to the world, then furiously clawed hot furrows into his hot heart. And with every failed attempt, the injuries in his pride deepened.

"PK Love!"

A violent shiver crawled down up his arm, but as usual, nothing happened.

No matter how hard Claus tried, he couldn't do it. He just _couldn't_. He could almost taste the power surge in his tongue, feel the low hum of warmth wash over his heart and tickle the very tip of his fingers...

_But he couldn't do it._

Resent towards his own brother slammed into him full force before it quickly extinguished itself, leaving only morose bitterness and guilt in its wake. No, he wasn't resentful towards Lucas. It wasn't _Lucas's_ fault that he happened to be better at this. Lucas certainly didn't _ask_ for this. Claus recalled how uneasy his twin looked at the prospect of having to save the world.

Lucas didn't ask to be the hero. Who was Claus to begrudge him of that?

But Claus hated it. He hated seeing the weight of that responsibility on his brother's shoulders, hated that heavy, solemn look he caught in his twin's blue eyes. It was almost as if some universal force despised his brother and _wanted_ to make him suffer. _He _was the wayward twin, the rogue child, the rebel, and yet, Lucas had to pay for it.

_Why him? _

_Why not me?_

Lucas laughing. Lucas crying.

They'd already been through so much, and yet, the world wanted more.

"PK Love!"

Sharp, stabbing pain bit his fingers, and with a vile oath, Claus cut off the mental connection. Now was not a good time to practice his PSI. He was out of village parameters; there was no telling if a Starman might catch onto his bout of PSI.

Or rather, his lack of PSI.

Absolutely frustrated, but not knowing who or what to be frustrated about anymore, Claus whirled around, slamming an injured palm against bark. The tree shuddered, groaning under his ministrations; its leaves winked under the slow light, shoning a pearly sheen in the early dusk.

Claus was furious at nothing and everything; he was furious at the world for _needing_ saving in the first place, furious that he was so useless and _helpless-_

"Rawr!"

Claus gave a startled jump before whirling around in shock. A tiny, green dinosaur-like creature cocked its head at him, looking up at him with wide, curious eyes. A baby drago.

The ginger blinked. _But dragos are supposed to be extinct..._

"Rawr!" it pathetically cried again as if trying to scare him.

Claus stared.

The Drago stared.

Claus stared.

The Drago wagged its tail. "Rawr!"

"Hey there," Claus murmured in that rare, soft tone he normally reserved for his younger brother. The ginger rubbed the gentle herbivore on the head, and felt the drago vibrate as it purred silently in content. For a scaly reptile, it acted a lot like Boney. "What are you doing out here?"

The green drago only perked up its ears and nudged its snout closer into his hand. Claus grinned - he doubted could've held back a smile if he tried.

"Where's your mom?" He asked, eyes flickering around for any sign of any other dragos. "I don't think your parents would let you wander off too far, little guy." The ginger's face fell slightly. "Or maybe you lost your mom too."

"Rawr!"

Claus eyed the green drago, which only stared back, twitching its tail. With a sigh, he pushed himself onto his feet. "C'mon, let's go find your family."

A slightly deeper roar resounded from the foliage. As if on cue, the baby drago perked up eagerly. Jumping out of Claus's arms, it hurried over meet a slightly large-set drago. Upon their unexpected reunion, the bigger drago affectionately licked the baby drago on the face. Instantly, the younger jumped back, letting out a high-pitched _meep_ of disapproval. But the bigger drago only let out a throaty, laugh-like rumble, nudging its smaller counterpart by the snout.

Suddenly, the larger drago sniffed the air, sensing another presence, then turned directly to stare at Claus. Resisting the urge to run, Claus stiffened as the drago lumbered over, leaning over to inspect him curiously. Hot air escaped from its nostrils as it snorted into his face. Surprisingly intelligent brown eyes gazed into his own.

Then the larger drago sloppily licked his face with a wet, slimy tongue.

"Eww, gross!" Claus laughed, wiping away its spit away with his sleeve. "Oh, come on!"

The larger drago affectionately butted its scaly head against Claus's arm, and somehow, Claus understood. "Is that your little brother?" Claus asked, watching the younger drago romp around in the dirt. "I guess you're taking pretty good care of him while mom's away, huh?"

The larger drago grunted, then suddenly turned around to nip its excited sibling by the ear. The baby drago whined, and Claus grinned, catching the gist: _Behave yourself._

With a content rumble, the larger drago stomped away into the forest, and yelping, the smaller one followed obediently at its heels. For a second, the baby drago turned around to give Claus a final yowl of excitement before disappearing from sight.

_Which reminds me; I should probably head back to camp._

But as Claus stood up, something clattered melodiously against the ground. A sheen of bright silver caught his eye, and Claus bent over to examine it. Stunned in awe, he fingered the smooth artifact in his hands.

A perfect drago tooth.

The precious artifact nestled in his hands, glittering with the light of a thousand crystal pieces. This was a find so rare that even archaeologists would die for it; if Claus turned it into the local museum, he knew he could sell it for a fortune.

But secretly smiling to himself, Claus safely pocketed the drago fang then clambered back up to camp. He couldn't wait to see Lucas's face as he recounted the incredulous tale that had happened that evening. The moon peeked out from a mountainside, bathing his shoes in liquid silver, and Claus tossed back his head. A child's laugh rang through the air, bright and full of joy.

The forest hid many secrets, but the dragos' existence was one Claus would keep to his grave.

.

.

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~oO0Oo~

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.

.

He was lost.

Thick shadows hung over him in ghastly grins, long leaves draping their branches like ripped curtains. A ghostly howled in the distance, followed by a series of ragged barks. The stream trickled and gurgled, setting off ominous splashes within the shivering song of crickets.

Claus should've known better than to trek off on his own. Playing with the dragos had led him into an unknown territory; nothing here looked familiar at all. Another howl ripped through the silence, and instinctively, Claus clutched the drago fang tighter to his chest.

Dare he risk using telepathy?

A sudden noise rustled from above. Instantly, Claus drew out the drago fang. Hot blood pounding through his veins, Claus strained his ears for any other sound, peering up into the thick canopy.

Nothing.

Claus relaxed.

An unearthly screech to the left sent his feet flying, jumping ten feet into the air. Something shot out, eyes bulging out of its sockets, then snatched the drago fang out of his hands. Toppling to the ground in terror, Claus blindly fanned out his telepathy to jab at his attacker, only to stop at the loud hoot of laughter.

Grinning cheekily from above, the monkey sent him a mocking four-finger wave. "Looking for something?"

Startled, Claus wordlessly stared at the monkey before a past conversation with Ness echoed back into his mind.

_"PSI boosts your mental awareness. That's why you can understand animals."_

A sharp smack to the face jolted him back into the conscious world.

"Ow!" Claus hissed, rubbing the lump on his head. "What was that for?"

To his surprise, the monkey chattered back delightfully. "Silly carrot! You needed a good swat on the head! Dreaming is for the asleep!"

"I'M NOT A CARROT!" Furious, Claus tried to hit him back, but the monkey avoided his hands with another hoot of laughter.

"You are no monkey, and you have no tail, but you are like me. Are special. Can understand my idle chatter!"

"Oh, I understand your idle chatter, all right," Claus said grumpily. "And I wish I didn't. Now give my stuff back!"

"What if I say no?"

Claus clenched his teeth, then made another swipe for the fang. But the monkey simply leaped over to the next tree, peering at him with laughing eyes.

"Come back here!"

"If you're lost, you should ask for directions," the monkey suggested.

"Like you'd know where-"

"Saturn Valley."

"...How did you-nevermind." Claus sighed, then dragged a hand down his face. "Yes, some directions would be nice. I guess I am kind of lost..."

"Of course you're lost!" The monkey clapped a hand to his mouth in mirth. "You are lost in your thoughts! Ppffff hahahaha!"

"Very funny," Claus grumbled.

Wiping the tears from its eyes, the monkey jabbed a finger in his direction. "You crack me up, carrot; you really funny! You walking in circles and circles and circles...phew, you so lost! Heeheehee!"

"Your words aren't helping," Claus muttered, trying to rack his brains. "Now, where was I...?"

Tired of teasing the confused teen, the monkey sobered up, offering him back the stolen drago fang. "Words of deceit taste sweet to the ear."

Claus snatched back the drago fang. "Thanks for the advice," he said icily. "But I'd really appreciate it if you didn't steal my stuff."

"Not stealing. _Helping."_

"Yeah, right-"

Claus faltered, halting at the unexpected sight. A magnificent trail of soft lights snaked through the forest, glowing and humming gently with heavenly warmth. Drinking in the wondrous view in disbelief, Claus rubbed his eyes.

It disappeared.

"I must be imagining things," Claus muttered, slapping his forehead.

"Nothing is coincidence," the monkey chimed. "Look, carrotboy! Try. _See what cannot be seen!_"

"So I'm supposed to see...nothing."

With a low rustle of leaves, the monkey shifted in place. "The most precious things cannot be seen," it said softly. "They are felt."

Claus paused.

Was the path a manifestation of his own doing? Did his PSI sense his loneliness, and acting of its own will, provide an invisible compass directing him back to his brother?

Almost tugging on his mind with an unusual force, his PSI hummed happily, a warm furnace in his heart. After some quiet thought, he stepped into the clearing. Taking a deep breath, he slowly closed his eyes...

And set everything free.

An excited hoot of laughter caused him to re-open his eyes. Claus drank in the breath-taking sight of his success in awe; running through the golden line with shaking fingers, he realized that the glowing thread of gold hummed at the same beat of his PSI, loud and steady.

"I caused this..." Claus said in disbelief.

A particularly cheerful slap on the shoulder sent a grin curling up his face, and Claus turned around to watch the monkey throwing its hands up into the air in joy.

"The truth is not light. It heavy!"

"Haha."

"You understand, yes?" With a hoot of glee, the monkey waved him off. "The heart be your guide. Farewell, Magical Carrot-boy!"

"Thank yo-wait, _I'm not a carrot!_"

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

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.

.

"Caw Caw!"

Claus jerked his head up in shock.

"That is Hello. In Bird Tongue. Name Sparrow."

"Hello to you too." Claus paused, looking somewhat curious. "Why do birds sing?"

"Why not?"

"It's unwise. Predators could eat you if you sing so loudly."

"It is better to have a voice than to have none at all."

"I suppose so."

Sparrow blinked, hopping along the branch. "What is your song?"

"My song?"

"Everyone sings a song. The flowers sing of sunshine and rain. The fish sing of swimming in the crystal lakes. I sing of love and of a nestmate. Listen closely." Tilting its head, the sparrow trilled out a small, sharp five-note tune. "What do you sing of?"

Claus shuffled uncomfortably. "I don't sing."

"Shh, fledgling. Listen. Do you hear it?"

Claus stopped. He listened hard.

The rustle of dried leaves. The soft whistling of wind.

Proudly ruffling up its feathers, the sparrow bobbed its head in approval. "Loud sing your heartstrings."

"But I heard nothing."

"Every heart sings a tune. Someday, you will hear yours, and you will know."

"...Goodbye."

"Goodbye!"

.

.

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~oO0Oo~

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.

.

Tired, Claus took a brief rest by the riverbank. The waterfall was close by, glistening over the shallow pool rocks in a continuous gurgle. The golden thread, ever a guide, lit his way forward.

With a flash of scales, a shimmer of color slowly floated in the water. A fish stared at him with unblinking, glazed eyes. A flurry of bubbles escaped from his mouth.

"Glub, glub."

Claus snorted. "I don't suppose you talk too?"

"Glub, glub."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"Goodbye."

"Glub, glub."

.

.

.

~oO0Oo~

.

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.

"Hullo. I am friend."

Confused, Claus looked around.

"No. Up here."

Filled with growing trepidation, Claus slowly tilted his face up. There was a scratch of tiny claws on wood before the speaker itself finally crawled out from underneath the trees. Two ears popped up, following by a quivering pink nose.

"I am Mouse," it said. "Do you have any cheese?"

Claus numbly shook his head, upturning his pockets.

"Oh." The Mouse sounded rather sad. "You break my heart."

"Sorry."

"I suppose I should not be disappointed. Cheese is tasty. Unfortunately, tasty things are gobbled up too quickly. Few spare time to savor the precious moments in life," it mused wisely. It twitched its ears, then hopefully peered up, preening its whiskers with small paws. "Are you searching for cheese?"

"No. I'm returning home to my brother."

"Brothers are precious," Mouse agreed. "Like cheese."

"Right," Claus said absentmindedly, remembering how much Lucas liked cheese too. "Well, if you don't mind, I think I'll be off on my way."

"My mistress can help you."

"I know the way back-"

"No, she can help you heal." Mouse glanced up at him curiously. He sniffed his shoe. "Many holes in your heart. Like cheese."

With a pitter-patter of tiny feet, the mouse tip-toed over, then nudged its snout into Claus's hand. Absentmindedly, Claus stroked its soft, warm fur as if it were Boney, and the white mouse snuggled closer to his hand. Its pelt shone and felt of love; the mouse was clearly well-cared for.

"The Lady of the Lake is a powerful Magypsy," the Mouse said. "She is my mistress, the Shaman."

"The Shaman?"

"Her kindness knows no bounds. She heals the wounds and scars of many forest animals. Perhaps she can heal yours."

Raising an eyebrow, Claus glanced down at himself. The bottom of his scarred palms were slightly scraped, but he knew that all markings would fade quickly over time. "I don't need healing."

"She knows PSI very well."

"She does?"

"Yes. Do stop by. She's always lonely. So very lonely, all by herself. Most people judge her for her creepy Nwehehehe laugh, but she's always been nice to me..." Mouse trailed off, then looked wistfully up the waterfall. "Please give her short company. I miss her so."

Torn, Claus looked at his palms. "But I have to return to the village..."

"Won't take long," the mouse insisted. "In and Out. Just a minute."

"Then I suppose it can't hurt to check the place out." He caught sight of a curious, swirly-pink cone-shaped dwelling nearby. It looked odd, yet strangely majestic, sitting in the pool of water by the very cusp of the waterfall. "Is that where she lives?"

"There my gentle mistress resides."

"Maybe she can train me how to use PSI," Claus said aloud. He made a move to walk forward, then hesitated once more. "But my brother..."

"Is safe with friends. No harm."

Claus exhaled. "I really shouldn't be doing this. Lucas is going to get worried sick." But thinking about how lonely the Magypsy sounded, and looking into the pitifully pleading eyes of the mouse, Claus dragged a palm down his face. "I'm going to regret this."

"Your passion defines who you are." The Mouse yawned, its tiny, pink maw widening before snapping it shut. "The heart is strong where the mind is weak. Do not forget."

"Thanks. I'll keep that in mind."

"Goodbye, and good luck."

And Claus walked away from the cobbled stones, stepping off the glow of the warm beckoning trail and into the sweet shade of the palisade.

.

.

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~oO0Oo~

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.

.

The house by the waterfall was a quaint little thing.

For one, there was no door.

For another, it was stuffed to the brim with mist.

Lots and lots of mist.

Feeling the distant sea-spray on his cheeks, Claus cautiously lingered at the foot of the giant conch-shell. Graceful swirls curved the home into a unique piece of architecture, stylish and mystical. Curiously, Claus lightly slid a finger down its surface, then examined it. Pink, glittery powder coated his fingernails. Shuddering, Claus instantly wiped it off on a blade of grass.

Then the mist thickened, coiling around his arms like a pair of hands.

"Welcome, Traveler."

Taking this as a cue to enter, Claus stepped over the threshold, then nervously peered into the darkness within. "...Hello?"

A disembodied voice, airy and mysterious, spoke through the mist. "Speak, Child."

"A friend of yours told me to see you. Um...mouse? I think. I can't stay long, but I was hoping you could help me out."

"..."

Wondering if it was healthy to feel this much stupidity in one go, Claus slowly backed away. "Sorry, wrong address-"

"NO! Five more minuuuutes!"

Claus blinked. "Sure."

There was the sound of more rustling, a clatter of porcelain, then a loud wail. "Oh _phooey!_ I ruined my dramatic entrance!"

By this point, he had no idea how to respond. In fact, leaving sounded like a great idea.

"Claus, can you be a dear and help an old lady out?"

Startled by the call of his name, Claus jolted upright. "Oh...sure, I guess I can...uh..." Claus squinted into the thick mist. "But I can't see anything."

There was a sharp gasp, quickly followed by a loud clap of the hands. As the mist disappeared in a howling _whoosh_ of a tornado, Claus blinked in disorientation, stumbling to the side before he was interrupted by an awful caterwauling that shattered the heavens. Eyes dawning in realization, Claus slowly turned, catching sight of the wise, ever-revered PSI master of all time...

Furiously texting on her cellphone.

"OH NOOOO!" the Magypsy screamed, wringing his hands - the phone flew out of his hands, smashing through the window and hitting an unsuspecting bird on the head. "Claus, you simply _must_ to help me! I can't find my lipstick!"

Surprised, Claus blinked. He was doing a lot of blinking the past few minutes. "Uh..."

"My poor precious lipstick...Oh, Fuzzy Pickles!" the Magypsy cried impatiently, crouching on all fours. "No, it must be around here somewhere..."

"Where did you last see it?"

"I don't know!" The lady (man? thing?) threw his hands up into the air in hysteria. "This is terrible! I can't be magical WITHOUT MAKEUP! Whoever heard of an ugly sorceress? I will be the laughingstock of humanity!"

A cherry-red glint caught Claus's eye. He bent over, gingerly snagging the cylinder up between his fingertips like it was an extremely radioactive carcinogen. "Is this what you were looking for?"

"Gimme that!" A snatch of a hand, then the man/woman/thing opened the container with a pop, slathering the glossy ink over his fine lips. "Now that's much better! Full, cherry lips and wide, dark-lashed eyes are the art of beauty, these days, ohohoho! I must keep up with the trends~❤ Tell me, Claus dear, do I look pretty to you?"

"Erm..." Claus tried very hard not to look at her/him/it (seriously, what gender was the Magypsy? He couldn't tell). "You look very...pretty."

Instantly, the Magypsy broke out into loud giggles. "Darling, please. You flatter me! A tall, handsome lad like you! But of course, you wouldn't need to worry," the Magypsy fawned, glancing at his hair enviously. "What I would do to have such beautiful locks like yours~ And what stunning blue eyes! Darling, you simply _must _tell me your secret! Oh, those gorgeous blue eyes~❤ Do you wear contacts?"

Claus shuffled uncomfortably in place. "Uh...no, it's natural..."

Catching his uncomfortable gaze, the Magypsy's expression softened, and he tittered, fanning his face. "I'm overwhelming you, aren't I, dear? I'm so dreadfully sorry. It's been a while since...well, since I've spoken to another person! It sounds like something my brothers would've done..." She abruptly trailed off, gazing at the walls, then fixated his gaze back to his. "By the by, I'm so awfully sorry about my rude attitude earlier. My lipstick is the most important thing to my heart, you know. I get quite cranky without it."

"It's okay," Claus quickly said, studying the house curiously. "So you _are_ the Lady of the Lake?"

"Is that what they call me these days?" she asked, clapping her hands together in merriment. "So it is. I went by so many names and professions: The Shaman, The Peddlar, The Soothsayer...need I say more? But darling, _you_ can call me Lady Locria~❤"

"Lady Locria-"

"Actually, just Locria will do, my sweet~❤"

"All right, Locria...You wouldn't happen know how to use PSI, would you?"

The Magypsy peered at him with half-lidded eyes. "What makes you say that?" she whispered, twisting her wrist into the air; in a sparkle of iridescent gold, a breathing sunflower materialized into her palms, sunny petals open in a warm smile. The Magypsy bent over into a low bow, extending out her welcome offering, and Claus hesitantly took it into his hands. "Magic is my first cousin. PSI is my blood. So cast away your doubts and speak. How can I help you, handsome?"

Jerking to attention, Claus dropped the sunflower out of his hands. "I can't control my PSI."

"Let me see..." Locria murmured, tilting his chin up to look into his eyes. "Who told you so?"

Claus didn't remember telling him about anyone else, but regardless, he decided not to reveal any names in err of caution. "It was a...a friend," he said honestly.

"A friend?"

"Yes."

"..."

"..."

Locria withdrew, pursing her lips. "What lies has that foolish time traveler been feeding you with?"

Claus blinked. "How did you know it was-"

"Dear, _please._ Giygas has many eyes and ears. You all need to be more careful. My pet Mouse has been relaying all sorts of juicy gossip to me for quite a while, and my, oh, my, that was when I wasn't even trying to spy~"

The white mouse flashed in Claus's memory. "It _spied_ on us?"

"_R__ude._ He prefers to be called a _he_ than an _it_, darling," the Magypsy sniffed. "Children these days...for shame! Tell me, dear, would _you_ like to be called an _it_?"

"Sorry, I wasn't trying to be-"

The Magypsy interrupted his flustering with a high-pitched titter. "That's more like it, sweetie! Oh, you spoil this Old Shaman so~❤"

Shaman.

_Shaman._

The name finally clicked in his memory.

**_"...Seven Needles. The Shaman mentioned that the tremendous power needed to pull a Needle stems straight from the heart, which explains why only PK Love users are destined for such a task..."_**

"You worked with Giygas. YOU told him the Legend of the Seven Needles."

"Yes, and yes." The Magypsy looked mildly surprised. "Where on earth did you hear that, dear?"

"Giygas wrote a journal. The page was a total mess, but it mentioned you as an accomplice. That means..." Raising his hands defensively, Claus instantly backed away, chair clattering in the dust. "Who are you?!" he demanded, power pouring into his fingers. "Wait, no..._you're_ the other spy Giygas warned Ninten about!"

"Am I?" Locria sighed tiredly. "Giygas refers to all of his minions as spies. It's rather annoying, but who am I to argue? Here, sweet, do take a seat-Oh, and stop it with the face! I learn from my mistakes. I bailed~❤"

Claus's face hardened. "I don't-"

"Trust you?" Locria finished pleasantly. "Well, I can't say that I'm not surprised, dear. The only person you'd ever trust wholeheartedly is your brother."

"That's not true."

"Oh, darling, you're too adorable~❤ You try to store away your emotions, yet I find you to be a tad too predictable. Throw me a lifeline, sweetie; the only person you do get along with at all is your own twin! Well, I'd say that you do have a few friends here and there, but in your eyes, none of them are quite like your sweet little brother. Tell me, sugar. Look into my eyes. Am I lying?"

His words had hit the mark; Unnerved, Claus's throat suddenly clogged up with emotion, and trembling, he gripped his fists, keeping them balled at his side.

Inclining his head, Locria smiled knowingly. "Your actions speak louder than your words. Ever since you were born, you've always been there for him, haven't you? You say you might've not been the best older brother, but darling, you care about him. You still do."

"Is that a threat?" Claus asked in a dangerously quiet voice.

The Magypsy applied more lipstick, then dabbed mascara onto his features. "A threat? Why, of course not! I think it's all just very sweet~❤"

"I swear, if you even lay a finger on him-"

"Ohoho, looks like big brother is a little tense! Relax, dear. I don't bite! Here, why don't you take a break? Take a short trip down Memory lane~❤"

Before Claus could say anything else, the Magypsy blew a slow ring of hallucinogenic smoke right into his face, whisking him straight into wonderland.

* * *

><p><span><strong>Author's Note:<strong>

**I don't really have life stories to share this time round. Seriously, it's just me doing, you know, normal life stuff...**

**Like the time two weeks ago when my parents came to hang.  
><strong>**Or the time last week when finals made me contemplate the meaning of life.  
><strong>**Or the time last Monday when my roommates tried to tie my bedroom door shut with scotch tape.****  
><strong>

**Also, free bike. Yaaaas *Cue Earthbound bike song***

**So basically, nothing happened. ;)**

**Thanks for being patient with the long ~2 month hiatus! To compensate, I'll try to have Chapter 30 up sometime next week, preferably Wednesday/Saturday (wow I know, first weekly update in a while haha!). But Life sometimes happens, and editing takes a long time when each chapter is 12,000+ words. The next chapter will be just as long...and hopefully just as exciting. ^_^ We'll see.**

**Onto your reviews :)**

**SunnyStrikerz**: AWW YEAH I LOVE FEELS! :D *Starts dishing out feels* Feels for everybody!

**Shimo no ko**: Oh no. A pun! My greatest weakness! XD And hmm...maybe BuzzBuzz does have different motives. Who knows? I, for one, certainly don't. ;) And pshh foreshadowing what's _that_ haha I would _never...!_ ;D And gurl, I feel about the Shakespeare! I had to take an English class this semester (English class is the bane of my existence!) and we had to read over _Richard III, Hamlet, Twelfth Night, Midsummer Night's dream, Macbeth, Winter's Tale, The Merchant of Venice._ I was secretly glad we didn't need to read _Romeo and Juliet_, because I think once in highschool is enough...even though it had some winning lines.

**Ender2142**: OMG I'm sorry for the long wait! DX I felt really, really bad that I wasn't able to update my chapter in the usual monthly fashion, but hopefully Chapter 30 next week should make up for it. ;) And dude, no worries; thanks for putting in the time to write a review. :) I know that time can take the best of us, and I really appreciate that you tried ^_^

**FalconerET**: Duuude, I hope you're feeling less stressed now. :) I think it's been a really busy year for everyone. 2016 aint too kind to us poor souls. D: And thank you! Yeah, I actually got the "not eating when stressed" reference from my brother; when he gets upset, he rarely shows it, so we have to recognize his mood shifts based on behavior like appetite loss, how many times he smiled that day, etc. To be honest, I wasn't very satisfied with the dialogue last chapter, so I added a few more details to make things sound more realistic. :) And yeah, I love writing convos between Lucas and Claus. It makes my day less angsty hahaha! And who knows? Maybe I'm trolling everyone and nobody will die! Yeeeeeeeah

**HelixConundrum**: Brotherly fluff is best fluff? ABSOLUTELY. Here's +10 cool points to you, buddy. FALCON YES! Haha all joking aside, yeah...me sorry. :c The angst is real. I'm a terrible person.

**IncomingPenguins**: Oh my pork, stahp it, you. XD I'm really glad that you're enjoying the story so far; tbh, writing is my weak point, so by working on this story, I'm hoping to improve my skills. But thank you very much~ Making you happy makes me happy ^_^

And OH SNAP. BRINGING OUT THEM QUOTES.

Wow. You actually took the time to write the quotes out and...wow. I feel flattered. XD Thank you, dear reader. But oh no...you're onto me! That can't be allowed, nosiree. Umm...hey, look over there! A cool, shiny...DISTRACTION!

*run run run*

**ConnorTheNerd**: Hey Nerd. I changed your username. ;)

jk jk Nerds are cool. But yeah, I can tell you more about my research through PM because it's all really boring and stuff. Trust me, I doubt anyone wants to hear about how I used a eudiometer to collect hydrogen gas and did all sorts of mole conversions. XD

Yeah lol you kill off a lot of your characters. A lot. God dang it, Connor why why do you make us attached to characters only to kill them off?! Ugh. Now I don't know who to root for because the next thing you know, you'll be like, "Oh look, he got le stabbed oh noooo" and I will bite my lip to hold back manly tears.

AND HOORAY CRITICISM! You and PSIBoy pointed out a few things that I figured I should change. :) To be honest though, the repetitive feeling in Chapter 28 between Claus and BuzzBuzz was used to serve as a plot driver (and also as a refresher after those random interlude chapters). ;) To be frank (heh heh), I didn't really like some of the dialogue between Lucas and Claus last chapter, so I added a few things to it to make it more realistic. But yeah, English ._. Why is writing so hard Connor why

My chapters usually tend to be long because (a) I cram too much miscellaneous detail or (b) I try to stretch out the dialogue to ease conversation into the topic of interest. I know a lot of writers who excel at dialogue (comes naturally to their fingers, etc.), but yeah...I am not one of those people. :( I need to shift my dialogue all the time because sometimes it sometimes bothers me. But yeah, I'll try to cut down when I can. :)

**Plushiepaw**: Thank you~ I am finally a writer...in the science community. XD I think writing fantasy is so much harder, because it usually tends to be less formal and...English. T_T

And DID YOU SAY BROTHERLY FLUFF?! +10 cool points to you too! Haha yeah, in my mind, Ninten is 13, the twins 14, and Ness 15. I don't know. I assigned them values based on people in my highschool freshman bio class. XD Random source hahaha. And yes, I can't imagine the twins being able to fight for real at first because it's just so _absurd_. They can't take it seriously. Maybe it's just me; I don't know. But I feel like it's one thing to say, "Punch the daylight out of yo enemies" vs "hey go beat up yo mama." Not that some brothers won't be happy to take a swing at their brother just because, but I feel like with the relationship/backstories I carved between the twins in this story, it wouldn't work out. Family makes a difference. ^_^

Yeah that was some serious talk Lucas and BuzzBuzz had. :x And as for if will Claus and the others will find out...We'll see. ;)

Yep, you never know. I could be trolling the readers hehehe. Maybe nobody will die. Maybe it's all a CONSPIRACY. :O Illuminati confirmed!

**Guest**: And I thank you for reading my fanfic! I write to entertain, dear Guest. ^_^ Welcome back~ *Throws party*

**PSIBoy**: Wow, a reader. WHO ARE YOUUUU?!

Haha, I kid. And no, your memory is not failing you. Fassad is/is not tracking the boys down. And belting out my favorite phrase: Who knows? ;) Thanks for enjoying the side characters...I didn't think I made them as diverse as I hoped haha. And I'm glad you liked BuzzBuzz's little spiel; I thought it was a little over the top, but oh well. Engleesh

NO I WILL PLAY WITH YOU EMOTIONS AND YOU CAN'T STOP ME *pelters you with feels*

OMG No! I totally understand! :) I feel like Claus is a...difficult character to judge. Everyone either likes him, or hates him, and it makes sense, because he has such a strong personality. Usually, I have to double check my chapters to make sure that he stays grounded (a.k.a. not overly jerky, not overly brash, etc.). But as long as he's understandable (kindof), I'm okay with that. :) If not...then yeah, there's a problem with my writing somewhere. *cries*

Duly noted. Nothing much happened, plot-wise. :) But Chapter 28 had a good reason to bring out his rather...unpleasant...traits; and the reason for that is for Chapter 30. ^_^ I won't specify anything~

**Jkoopa**: Thank you thank you~ And hey, this is your first review? :D Well, welcome to Fanfiction! That's pretty brave of you haha. I didn't start reviewing until ~3 years after I created my account. Shoutout to my insecure highschool self. XD Ooh I get readers from all around the world; no worries, you don't feel out of place. :) Seriously though, you Canadians have such wonderful healthcare programs. It's a topic we discuss in some of my med-related college classes. XD And ayyy high school! Well, be rest assured that you will not develop superpowers and journey on a quest to save the world. ;) But yeah, welcome to the site, and I hope you enjoy the rest of the story ^_^

**C. S. Alvarez**: Thank you! ^_^ I'll try to keep it up in my other chapters~


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